A Fire Inside
by MegaTank
Summary: With her jubilee just around the corner, Queen Elsa prepares to bring a better future to her Kingdom. Meanwhile, Kristoff and Anna's courtship literally starts to warm up as Arendelle experiences an unnatural heat. [Kristanna][ElsOC]
1. Chapter 1

**Greetings to all prospective readers. It's been a while since I delved into the world of Fan Fic writing and this is the first time I've ever done romance (or at least tried). If there are any factual or grammatical errors, don't hesitate to let me know. Other chapters will be longer and in regular prose. Without further ado, enjoy!**

* * *

From the diary of Queen Elsa of Arendelle, June 30th

_I still don't quite believe it. In just a few short days it will be my first Jubilee celebration. For being the queen of Arendelle for just one short year, a title I never truly desired and even attempted to cast aside. Yet people all around are already whispering of the upcoming festivities. Do I really deserve a celebration just for keeping my province stable for a year? We have had remarkably few problems in light of my own personal issues, but I feel that is to the credit of the people, not myself. Would my father have done any worse? Or Anna? Okay, maybe that's not the best example. Even so, there are many people responsible for keeping Arendelle as prosperous as it is today, especially when we lacked a titled head of state._

_Of course, I cannot mention that time without talking about high councillor Christian. As one of the few people who knew of my secret even before my parent's passing and Arendelle's steward up to my coronation, he has become one of the few people I can truly trust. Even as I took the reins and became queen, he took it all in stride and proceeded to aid me to the best of his ability. Even as he gets on in his years his word still holds a great deal of respect in both our governments and our courts, which can't have been easy. I can barely imagine how many difficult decisions he has had to make to get as far as he has, and how many difficult questions he has had to deal with._

_He's working as hard as ever to ensure everything runs smoothly, but I can't help feel he intends to retire soon, and only continues to hold off for my sake. That's just one more reason to work even harder and prove myself. So I can make Arendelle, and the rest of his years something he can enjoy and look forward to. I owe him that much. We all do._

_While there are plenty of seasoned people who continue to serve this province, there are just as many people like myself, young and eager to prove them self. But the one person who truly stands out to me is Mikael. In the few short months I've known him, he has managed to lock horns with just about every single one of my other advisors and government members. He always has an opinion of his own and is not afraid to voice his disagreements, even with myself which was a surprise. He's probably wrong about them just as much as he is right, but at least he has the good graces to realise as such. That alone gives him more moral fiber than many others like him, and is one of the main reasons I keep him around despite all of the objections I get._

_Looking back, I don't think I've given my sister Anna enough credit. In fact, I could say I owe her everything and that still wouldn't be doing her justice. After all those years that I shut her out alongside everything else, after I hurt her again and again, after I very nearly ended her life. After all that she never once hesitated to come to my aid, to try and make things right with me, even to give her own life for my sake. In the end she saved Arendelle from a frigid end, and she saved me from a usurper I would rather not mention. Most of all, she saved me from myself. If Anna were any different, she'd have been hunting me down like the rest of them, hoping my demise would bring back the summer. The love we share goes far beyond anything I could possibly describe. It's probably the only thing keeping me in check at this point, though I am glad to say I don't need that as much I used to. "Conceal, don't feel." Those words still haunt me sometimes, but as long as she's by my side, I feel that I truly don't need to hold back any more._

_For the past three weeks it hasn't actually been that way. It seems my sister has had a growing sense of wanderlust that Arendelle alone can no longer satisfy. So of course when Kristoff decided to start selling his ice abroad, she jumped at the chance to go with him. Even the fact that they're travelling by boat hasn't discouraged her in the slightest, even after… well, if there's one thing to say about Anna, it's that you can't keep her down. Not only that, they're travelling to Weselton of all places. There was a time when I believed I would not hear that name again. Naturally, it's never that simple. If I can make a lump of snow alive, anything is possible I suppose. _

_Now that I think about it, I haven't even seen Olaf in a while. He gets especially high-spirited at this time of year, and he always has a hundred different things he'd like to do to celebrate, kind of like someone else I know. Still, it would have been nice if he could have come around to keep Sven company. He wasn't allowed to go with Kristoff probably for the first time in forever, and the poor guy's almost climbing the walls. _

_I expect they'll be back any day now. They'll run out of things to do sooner or later, and Anna wouldn't miss my big celebration for the world, I just know it. They can only get caught up in their relationship for so long. I'll give Anna some credit, she is a little older and wiser about relationships now, and she's made sure she truly knows Kristoff. They're still together after all this time, so he must be doing something right. I just wonder how long they're going to continue like this before one of them makes a move. They both have their own commitments already, but I'd hate to see them stagnate forever, and I'm more than happy to give my blessing when they're finally ready to sanctify their bond._

_I really need to ask Mikael seriously abou_

A knock on Elsa's door froze her hand mid-sentence.

"Your Majesty?" A feminine voice called out from the other side.

Elsa sighed. "I thought I asked not to be disturbed right now." She rubbed her temple and gripped her pen more tightly.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry," the woman outside said. "It's just that the _Ice Climber _has been sighted. We expect it to be docking within the hour.

Elsa's head jerked at the name. "Alright, I will be there momentarily. Make sure everyone else is aware." She set down her pen and closed her diary. Elsa pressed her fingers against the lock on the front and a small bolt of ice shot out, worming it's way inside making a click. She took a brief look at herself in her mirror, took a deep breath and smiled just a little. "I've missed you, Anna."


	2. Chapter 2: In Sickness and in Health

**Chapter 2: In Sickness and in Health**

The grand doors to the castle slowly opened with a loud creak, letting the midday sun shine through revealing four different figures: Two of Arendelle's esteemed guards, following behind Queen Elsa in a regal blue and green dress, and another young man with a dark grey suit and short black hair that was well groomed all around except for the back where it converged into a single point. The four of them set out through the courtyard of Arendelle Castle, with the Elsa occasionally slowing down to greet anyone passing by who did the same.

The young man held up as hand to shield his eyes from the sun. "What a day. I probably should have gone for something white."

Elsa turned to face him and frowned. "Focus, Mikael. There is a reason I asked you to accompany me today."

Mikael laughed softly. "Oh, was no one else around?"

Elsa put a hand up to her mouth, but quickly moved it back and returned to her previous expression. "You are a representative of the house of Arendelle. Could you _please _try to act like it?"

"Yes, _mother_," Mikael said, scoffing as loudly as he could.

"I would advise you to change your tone." Elsa clenched her fists just a little. "There are plenty of people who are not impressed with your attitude. Have a look at this if you do not believe me." As they left the courtyard into Arendelle proper, Elsa took out a note and handed it over to Mikael.

He scanned the note quickly, rolling his eyes several times. The note was quite lengthy but the message was clear, although the name of the sender had been omitted. "Seriously, are you paying him every time he uses the word 'upstart'? And since when do you advise me, anyway?"

Elsa took the note back. "That is exactly what I am talking about. You need to show a little more respect for your fellow advisors and councilmen. Many of them have been keeping Arendelle safe and secure…"

"...from before I was born," interrupted Mikael. "I know, I know. That doesn't mean they can't be open to so new ideas. If you've proven anything, it's that things can change very quickly."

"Be that as it may," Elsa said, clearing her throat. "Perhaps some more tact in future would not go amiss? There is plenty for you to learn as well, you know. Our rules and customs are there for a reason."

A few more citizens felt the need to greet Elsa by title, and she politely waved back. A few people froze briefly before returning to their daily routines. "Alright, I'll keep that in mind. But for you, not them." Mikael looked around. "Is that why you brought me along, to have this conversation?" he asked.

Elsa turned back to face him, and her expression returned to normal. "Actually, no. As I told you, the _Ice Climber_ is about to return along with my sister. They are returning from their trip to _Weselton_, and they will no doubt be carrying documents concerning how their negotiations turned out. If you can check them and return them to the castle, I would appreciate that. Have you met my sister, by the way?"

Mikael looked up at the sky briefly, as the harbour came in sight. "Princess Anna? I don't think I have. I've seen her around a few times of course, but we have not yet been introduced."

A shadow of a smile flashed on Elsa's lips as they entered the harbour. "Oh, I think you'll like her. She has a noble heart, even if she tends to follow it rather heedlessly. She also has a slight tendency to run her mouth off a bit, but I am sure you will get on just fine." They passed by several stalls, selling fish, salt and a number of other goods from the sea.

"If you are implying what I think you are," Mikael said, breathing sharply. "Touché. By the sounds of it I won't be around too long so I doubt it will be an issue." The four of them stopped just as they reached the pier, and Elsa's eyes scanned the ships coming in.

"Over there!" Elsa said just a few seconds, pointing out a merchant ship pulling into the docks. It was around five metres high, looked almost brand new with a distinctive purple paint coating most of the hull, and most distinctively had a masthead of a young woman made of a pure, clear ice. Elsa ran ahead to where it was headed as fast as her dress would allow, leaving the others to follow behind.

When they all met up again, the _Ice Climber _had made it to the pier, and the sailors aboard were busy tying it up. The men handled the ropes with complete precision and almost perfect synchronisation, and in minutes the gangplank was extended from the ship onto the pier. The sailors securing the ship returned onto the deck, only one of them slowed down when he saw Mikael. The two locked eyes for a moment, then they proceeded below deck. A moment later, a well-built man with short blonde hair wearing grey emerged.

Elsa quickly walked over, getting his attention. "Kristoff, it is good to see you. But where is Anna?"

Kristoff rubbed the back of his head. "She'll be up in just a moment. I'm afraid she isn't feeling so well."

Elsa gasped, and moved in closer to him. "What do you mean? Is it serious? Is she alright?"

Kristoff waved his hands gently in front of her. "Relax, relax. She'll be alright, she just needs to…" Kristoff cut himself off. A reindeer game barrelling up the gangplank and straight towards Kristoff, almost knocking over Mikael.

"Hey, watch it!" Mikael snapped, getting his footing back. No one else seemed to notice.

"Sven! I missed you too, buddy," Kristoff said as Sven licked his face, which made Kristoff laugh. "How have you been? I'm sorry captain meanie wouldn't let you come, I am…"

Their attention was suddenly drawn to the loud, gruff sound of a man clearing his throat. a tall, muscular man with a thick brown beard had emerged from below deck, supporting Anna with his left arm. Anna was clutching her stomach and her face was paler than Elsa's hair.

Elsa rushed over to embrace her, her eyes going soft. "Anna, Anna! What happened to you? Are you alright?"

Anna groaned quietly. "Urgh… no more ships, please…"

Elsa turned her attention to the man who had brought her up. "What happened, captain?"

"Ah, the poor lass still doesn't have her sea legs, I'm afraid. I reckon there was a perfect storm in her gut," Captain Reboor explained. Elsa stared at him for a moment.

"Seasickness," Kristoff cut in. "Speaking of which, I'd let go of Anna if I were you." Elsa opened her arms up again just in time, as Anna rushed off to the side of the ship and hurled. "I'm just glad she didn't do that on the other side. Wouldn't want to get that on the pier."

Mikael shook his head. "I hate to say it, but it doesn't look like the princess is in any fit state for greetings today."

"And who might you be?" Kristoff asked, all attention (except Anna who was somewhat preoccupied) suddenly on Mikael.

"Oh, where are my manners? Mikael Blitzrein, advisor to our majesty on homeland affairs." Mikael extended his right hand. "A pleasure."

Kristoff slowly returned the gesture. "Uhm, Kristoff Bjorgman? Ice master and deliver of Arendelle. Oh yeah, this is my ship too."

The two of them exchanged a brief, firm handshake. "Ah, excellent. Do you have the reports for your trip?"

"Ah," the captain suddenly piped up. "The young gentleman passed that duty on to me." He produced a set of papers all neatly rolled up onto Mikael. "We had a little trouble when our ice melted sooner than we expected, but it was a productive trip nonetheless."

Mikael unrolled one of the papers and glanced through, focusing on the words as though there was some kind of deeper meaning etched into the paper. A few seconds later he folded it back up. "Excellent work, captain. The sooner we can get these goods to everyone, the better we'll all feel." Mikael turned to Elsa. "I should take my leave, your majesty. Rest assured we will have a proper report ready for you by the end of the day."

Elsa sighed, then gave a vague smile. "Very well. Have the reports ready by this evening."

"Very good. By your leave." Mikael bowed, and turned around and disembarked the ship, walking back along the pier with the papers under in tow.

Elsa walked over to where Anna was. She was done hurling over the side, but she didn't look any less pale and was holding onto the railing of the ship as though for dear life. "Please Anna, I can't bear to see you life this. We should head back to the castle and see if anyone can make you feel a little better." She looked up to Kristoff and Sven. "Do you think you could take her back to the castle?"

"Alright, but I need to pick up some more ice afterwards. I'll be back by tomorrow, I promise." Kristoff lifted Anna off her feet and climbed onto Sven. "Just like old times, huh? Alright Sven, to the castle!" The Reindeer nodded and leaped off the ship, galloping down the pier. A few seconds later, a loud crash rang out through the harbour.

"WOULD YOU STOP DOING THAT?" Mikael yelled from the distance.

"Sorry!" Kristoff called out, heading off through the houses. Elsa covered up her mouth briefly with her hand, then disembarked the ship herself.

* * *

A couple of hours had passed, and despite her condition, Anna's return had set the castle's staff in high spirits. After getting several opinions and confirming that she only needed some rest, Elsa opened up her throne room to the public. While a few people came to discuss official business, most people were more interested in the return of Anna, as Kristoff's run through the city had not gone unnoticed. Just when things had finally started to quieten down…

"Ellllllsaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Anna came into the room in a blur, wading through the crowd of visitors. She leapt up and squeezed Elsa, who was frozen on her throne up to that point.

"You're better… I see," Elsa gasped, trying to return the hug. "Okay, please let go now."

Anna slowly stood up straight. "Okay...okay. But I have so much to tell you! There were so many different places we went to, and we picked up all of this wonderful…"

"Uhm, Anna? Could we discuss this somewhere else?" Elsa gestured behind her to the citizens milling around, watching Anna's little tirade.

"Your majesty, would you like to put your appointments on hold?" A greying man in a decorated suit asked.

"Yes, please. Thank you high councilor," Elsa got up off her throne. "Anna, how about we have something to eat?"

"Oooh, you read my mind! What were you thinking of having?" Anna asked, as the pair walked off.

High councilor Christian cleared his throat. "Attention everyone, queen Elsa has decided to cut her meetings short today. Please come back tomorrow and she will attempt to address your questions then." A chorus of moans and grumbles echoed through the room, but no one bothered to complain. Soon the room was empty again, as people filed out and returned to their business.

The two sisters were sat in the dining room, just a couple of feet apart. The table was rather large and could seat a few dozen people, but after the events of the previous year, the two of them were never truly that far apart. They were forced to sit with the backs to the window, as the sun was descending through the sky and the sunlight was almost blinding still.

"Are you quite sure you're alright? You looked like a ghost earlier," Elsa asked, inspecting the silverware for the fifth time before looking up at Anna again.

"Well, I 'm never ever ever getting on a boat again. Besides that, I guess." Her face had returned to it's usual hue, and as usual she had energy to spare.

"You did remember to bathe, didn't you?"

Anna waved a hand gently. "Oh come on, have a little faith! You really think I'm gonna carry that smell around with me? The less I remember about that, the better."

Elsa took a deep breath, and smiled back at her. "So what was it you wanted to tell me about the trip?"

"Oh, right! The people there were so nice, and there was so much for us to do. They even have a little dig just for us! Crazy, right? Oh, and the shops… we must have one into a thousand of them. Oh, that reminds me," Anna cut her rambling short to reach around her dress. "Come on, it's here somewhere…" She zoned in on near her waist. "Here we go. Ta-da!" Anna produced a small, slightly beaten cardboard box for Elsa.

"For me? You shouldn't have." Elsa unraveled the ribbon covering the box, and pulled the cover off revealing an assortment of different treats. "Okay, maybe you should have."

"Oh, just wait until you try one!" Anna beamed, starting to shake.

Elsa quickly closed the box again. "Maybe later."

Anna briefly pouted. "Aww, you're no fun."

Elsa slowly pushed the box away. "I would just prefer not to ruin my appetite. Oh, what about you and Kristoff?"

Anna pulled on a loch of her hair. "Oh, you know, it's uh, fine? Yeah, fine."

Elsa gave a sharp sigh. "You're a terrible liar, you do know that? Besides, you came off that ship pale as a sheet." Elsa stared straight into Anna's eyes. "Come on Anna. We agreed not to do this any more. I promise if there's any way I can help…"

Anna looked down at the table. "Well, I," she slowly turned to face her sister. "It was a disaster! I felt like I was going to die the whole way there and _again _the whole way back again and Kristoff had to look after me as well as all the other problems he had and all because of my stupid weak stomach I mean I can totally handle a climb up a mountain and a drop back down but I get on a _boat _ and suddenly it's like, '_hi, this is your body, just wanted to make your life torture now. Have fun!' _Even while we were there all I could think about was how much the journey back was just going to _suck_ and I even totally forgot about the humongous gift they totally wanted to give you and oh hey I remember now, isn't that…"

Elsa reached out and clamped Anna's mouth shut. "Woah woah woah, slow down. they wanted to give me _what exactly_?"

Anna placed a hand on her chest and took a deep breath. "Okay, okay. So you know how you said the nobles still couldn't trade with us? They like, got together and gave us a looooot of stuff. I mean even I thought it was kind of nice of them and I guess I would kinda preferred my weight in chocolate but then I told them that and they gave me that anyway. Cool, huh?"

"What do you mean? What did they offer us?" Elsa stared into Anna's eyes.

"Oh, you know. Gold, some jewels, they even gave us some diamonds? I told them that it was waaaay too much, but they really wanted you to take it, said it was the least they could do. You really didn't know?"

Elsa gritted her teeth. "No, I guess not." She turned away briefly, staring holes into the table in front of her.

Anna grasped her arms and started to shiver. "Elsa, you're doing it again."

Elsa snapped back as she noticed her breath was now visible. "Oh, I'm sorry." She took a deep breath, and the room returned to normal. "You know it usually feels warm to me. Except for now, this summer's really turned the heat up."

Anna held Elsa's as gently as she could. "Are you sure you're alright? This hasn't been happening a lot, has it?"

Elsa gave Anna a soft smile. "It's fine, don't worry. I will deal with this in due course." She sat up and cleared her throat. "Now, we need to discuss your eating habits. You really had that much chocolate?"

Anna pouted. "Oh come on, I was on holiday! I barely ate anything at all on the way there. You didn't expect me to just leave that much behind, did you?"

"I _expected _you to respect your limits. Especially considering your little 'problem' with boats. Trust me, it's better if you take it a little at a time." Elsa sighed. "Anyway, explained to me what happened. Was it something Kristoff said?"

Anna pointed her eyes up at the ceiling for a few seconds. "Well, you know, he doesn't really say all that much. So I guess no?"

"Alright, was it something he did then?" Elsa asked.

"Look, it's not something I can really explain, okay? It's more like what he didn't do, really. I mean it's not like he complained or threw a fit or something, in fact whenever he wasn't checking on me he sort of just kept his distance most of the time, like he didn't want to be around me. And who would? I spent most of the trip face down over a bucket. Even now he obviously doesn't even want to talk to me.

Elsa stared intently. His behaviour did seem somewhat more suspicious now that she thought about it._ Get some ice_? Was he even trying? But Kristoff would never get truly mad at Anna. Would he?

"It was supposed to be the perfect getaway. Just the two of us going somewhere new, enjoying each other's company." Anna suddenly turned away, casting her eyes down to the floor. "In the end I ruined everything. I was just a burden…"

Elsa grabbed Anna by the shoulders. "Anna, listen to me. You are _not _a burden, you understand? Not to me, not to Arendelle, and definitely not to Kristoff. You love him, don't you?"

"Well of course, but…"

Elsa smiled just a little. "Then call it a labour of love. There's no way you could have possibly known about something like this." Elsa looked away before turning back. "Besides, you still had fun when you were there, did you not?"

Anna popped a familiar smile. "Yeah, I guess we did. Maybe we can try to remember the trip for that and not, you know, the _rest _of it."

"Now that's the Anna I know. If Kristoff really is mad at you I know you'll find some way to make it up to him. You always do. Besides, I'm sure he just needed some fresh air," Elsa said, deciding to omit an _I hope _from the end.

"Did I really smell that bad?" Anna asked.

"Now do you see why I asked if you had bathed?"

"Ohhh, you're terrible!" Anna pouted, and clenched a soft fist with which she thumped Elsa's shoulder lightly.

"Come here, you." Elsa responded, wrapping her arms around her. "I'm just glad you're back. It's not the same without you."

"I missed you too." Anna remained silent briefly, letting the moment sink in. "Hey, Elsa. Could we go skating later on?"

"What are you talking about? Of course we can. Just don't forget what I told you. It's nobody's fault, okay?"

* * *

"Oh, it's all my fault."

Kristoff had left the now familiar bustle of the streets well behind, and was enjoying the peace of the wilderness. Or rather, he would be if he wasn't busy mulling over the situation he was facing.

"_So it didn't go well?_" Kristoff groaned. Old habits and all that. Anna had asked him very nicely if he wouldn't do that whole 'Sven voice' thing while she was around, and to be fair he hadn't really needed it too much, At least, until now.

"No, Sven. No it did not got well." Kristoff slapped his forehead. "I'm sorry, this was all a huge mistake. Oh Anna, why did it have to be seasickness?"

"_Well why don't you talk to her?_"

Kristoff frowned. "Oh no, I am not going down that road again. Not after the rosebush incident."

"_So you're going to hide?_"

"Not hide, get a little advice first. This time, I'm not going back empty handed."

The sun had already sunk behind the mountains, and darkness had begun to set in around the valleys. It had taken a while, but finally darkness was setting in as Kristoff noticed the familiar rock formations he knew so well. Home.

As it turned out, he had made the right decision to walk there, as things we just starting to come to life as he had arrived. He took his place in the center and waited.

"Three."

The assortment of unassuming looking rocks and boulders started the shake vigorously.

"Two."

They began to move around, most of them heading towards the center, some of them even moving in formation, but somehow never bumping into each other. That had always baffled Kristoff.

"One!"

As if on Kristoff's cue, the rocks unfurled themselves revealing the trolls concealed within.

"It's Kristoff, he's home!" One of the male trolls shouted, as they all quickly gathered round. "Come on, we're all dying to what happened." Sure enough, all of the them decided to pipe in.

"So, how did our your little trip go? Did you and her, you know…"

"When's the wedding going to be?"

"Have you thought about baby names?"

Kristoff rolled his eyes. Again with the obnoxiously optimistic questions. How was he going to be able to break the news to them? More than that, would they even believe him? "Look, guys, guys. I don't know how to say this, but it didn't exactly go so well."

The whole crowd went silent for just a moment. "You said you'd knock her dead," A random male voice said from the crowd.

"No I didn't!" Kristoff waved his arms at the crowd. "Look, that's not that point. You see, Anna kind of got sea sick on the way there. Well actually it was like she was sick all the way there. And back as well."

"Aww, poor baby!" One of the female trolls chimed in. "You shoulda told me. I could whipped something right up."

"Well that's the thing," Kristoff explained. "Anna's never been on a boat this long before. We didn't know this would happen.

"Then what's the issue?" A gruff sounding troll piped up from the back.

"The problem is this whole thing was my idea. She spent days pale and sick because of me? How do you think that makes her feel? I made a huge mistake."

"Woah woah, coming through!" One of the female trolls waded through the crowd to face Kristoff, and he immediately recognised her. It was Bulda, the one who had taken him and Sven in all those years ago. "Alright dearie, we've worked too hard on this for you to lose her now." Despite himself, Kristoff smiled. Even as he had grown well over three times her height like just about every other troll there, they were still there for him. Even if it wasn't always the way he preferred. "Alright Kristoff, the way I see it, if you want to win her back, you have to go all out, show her you'd part the seas and move mountains for her! That's the kind of thing a girls loves."

"Oh, no no no no," one of the male trolls interjected. "If he does that, she's going to expect that kind of thing _every _time he makes some kind of mistake. You don't want our boy going grey in ten years, do you? If she really loves you, she'll forgive you no matter what."

Bulda scrunched her eyes and peered around Kristoff at the source of this rebuttal. "No one asked for your opinion, Garn."

Garn shrugged. "It's not my fault you don't think your advice through. Look, I know this is your big chance to help out, but you're going to have to do a lot better than that."

"Garn, I thought we agreed that if it came to this, I would be the one to deal with it."

"I never agreed to that." Garn laughed. "Maybe now you're starting to see why."

Bulda's eyes locked with Garn's. "Say that again."

"All I'm saying is that your kind of-" Garn was cut short as Bulda dived straight at him, sending both of them flying several feet away. She started to wail on him, which was apparently the cue for the rest of them to take sides and join in.

"Guys, _please._ This isn't what I wanted," Kristoff said, watching the combination of stony fists, legs and dust fly through the air, which pretty much drowned out his words. "Uh, still need help here," he muttered. After a few more seconds he buried his face into his hand. "For the love of…"

"Psst, Kristoff." Kristoff looked around, seeing if the male voice he heard among the spontaneous brawl was actually there. "Hey, over here!" He found the voice coming from behind him, and carefully stepped over the trolls and made his way up the rocky outcropping, briefly getting a better view of the ensuing chaos.

"They're really going at it," Kristoff muttered.

"Well, you know them, it was bound to happen sooner or later. You sort of caught them off guard by coming back with bad news like this."

Kristoff took a seat on a nearby log. "I thought it was you, Ignus." He closed his eyes and shook his head. "Do they really all have to join in at the same time, though? I'm sort of glad Anna isn't here to see this now."

Ignus laughed, and took a seat beside him. "That's just how it goes sometimes. We don't often disagree on things, but when we do, hoo boy. Don't get too worked up about it, you've seen this before. They'll tire out eventually and in the end prides end up getting more bruised than their bodies. Oh, how is Anna by the way?"

"You must have heard." Kristoff sighed. "This whole thing was a huge disaster. I'm still not sure what to do? Who do you think was right?"

Ignus stroked his chin. "Well, that's interesting question. In a way I'd say both of the are, but in a way neither of them are either." He noticed to look on Kristoff's face. "Alright, let me explain. It's true that every woman wants someone to make them feel like they're the most important woman in the world, it's true. It's just that there are better ways to do that than moving the mountains, so to speak."

"So, you're saying I should be smarter about it?" Kristoff asked.

"You're closer to understanding than you realise," Ignus said, smiling. "You see, it's all about what your gifts and actions mean to her. What does she love or hate? What does she remember fondly? What does she want more than anything else in the world? Take your mother for example. She loves quartz stones because not many other trolls do. She most fondly remembers the the time you came back safely from your first ice harvesting journey. And of course, she hopes one day to be a grandmother. Wouldn't that be a blessing?"

"I see," Kristoff mused. "Wait, you mean you and her…"

"Oh yeah. Let's just say you're talking to a _very _credible source of information on this kind of thing."

"Oh, really. Then how come you never got married?" Kristoff asked.

"Well, having the fire lighter and having the firewood aren't the same thing, my boy. If it's not meant to be, it's not meant to be." Ignus got back up from the log. "I'm sure that won't be a problem for you. In any case, I hope I've given you something to think about."

Kristoff closed his eyes. "So if I, wait but what if," he stammered. "Wait, that's it! I just thought of something. Wish me luck!" Kristoff ran off back the way he came, to where Sven was resting.

"You don't need luck. You're in love!" Ignus called out as he watched the man speed off. "Oh well, better go break this up."

* * *

**A/N: Yeah, you probably weren't expecting to ever see any of this again. This has been sitting in my google docs for way too long now. If it seems disjointed or just generally rubbish, that's probably because it is. Still, I actually managed to get it done, which is more than I bet most of us were expecting. I was originally going to make this longer, but I think I've dragged it out enough as it is. I hope you did enjoy it at any rate. **


	3. Chapter 3: Darkhorse Victory

**Chapter 3: Darkhorse Victory**

"This should have come to my attention much sooner!" Elsa said, clenching the arms of her seat.

The council chamber of the castle was currently holding a meeting for the men and woman charged with the important decisions for Arendelle. The room was centered by a dark brown, ornate table which was currently covered in important documents, with the surrounding chairs occupied by well dressed men, save for the queen who took her place at the head of the table as usual. The walls of the room were adorned by old paintings and cabinets filled with antiques that had likely not been moved in decades.

"Apologies, majesty," Mikael said, still wearing the same suit from his earlier outing with the queen. "But our laws clearly state that financial matters, no matter how unexpected are for the councilmen to deliberate on."

"This concerns a great deal more than wealth. The future of our diplomatic relations is at stake," Elsa said, retaining her normal icy expression but breathing just a bit heavier than normal.

The man opposite Mikael held out his hand. "For once, I must agree with the young gentleman. This development requires a tempered response. With all due respect majesty, I fear your personal feelings on the matter may cloud your judgement." High councilor Christian had now served Arendelle's government for 3 successive monarchies, and it showed. His long hair, while still intact had long since lost its colour, and his face became more wrinkled by the year. Even so, his age nevered seemed to show in his voice.

Elsa stalled for a second, eyes closed. "Very well. Let us review the message we received. We can decide a course of action accordingly. Blitzrein?"

Mikael looked at Elsa, before picking up the letter from his own pile of papers. "I trust you have all had a chance to read this already." No one raised an objection, so he continued. "As you are all aware, our embargo on the noble houses of Weselton is still in effect. Therefore, when the _Ice Climber _went visited their province, they left us a gift of considerable value by way of apology. At least that's what the message outlines. The letter goes on to say that they intend to send a representative for the jubilee celebration to improve relations and hopefully negotiate trading terms. However, the person has not yet been named."

"If it's that Duke again," Elsa muttered.

"That is extremely unlikely," one of the men spoke up. It was Arendelle's foreign minister, a man named Reynold. He was middle aged and well travelled, a fact he was not afraid to show. His grey suit was covered with emblems and seals, and even the occasional medal from across land and sea. "My sources tell me that Duke's ill fated trip to our kingdom last year did not go unnoticed by the other powers of Weselton. Suffice to say, I highly doubt he's in any position to be returning anytime soon. In any case, I doubt they are unwise enough to take that sort of action after such a considerable donation."

"That does still raise the question of why they chose not to inform us of their choice," Christian said.

Reynold scrunched his face. "Perhaps they simply hadn't yet decided at the time of writing," he offered. "This is a highly sensitive issue, and choosing the right person to mend relations would no doubt be a considerable task."

Elsa cleared her throat. "There is little point in speculating, although that does add another issue for the upcoming festivities. While we're on the subject of this gift, do we have an estimate on the value?"

Another man on the far side of the table cleared his throat. "Unfortunately, the downside of having such an ostentatious gift is that it will all need to be appraised and properly valued. So we cannot say for certain just yet." The man was Bertrom, Arendelle's finance minister, and a man who would know all about ostentatious. The man almost always had enough jewels on him to gold leaf the entire castle. In fact it made him quite difficult to look at in well lit areas.

Elsa closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. Mikael quickly interjected. "Although, based on the going rate for the gold alone I imagine it must be around seven percent of our current treasury." Several of the men along the table murmured to themselves.

"_Thank you_, master Blitzrein," Bertrom said. "In any case, I suspect that we shall be forced to invest this windfall sooner rather than later. If we do not announce this gift, no doubt _they _will. I for one would like to mention that if we do resume trading, our fleet of merchant vessels will require bolstering." It was true. When the fjord froze the year before and in the ensuing chaos that followed, several of their trading ships were reduced to mulch. The embargo placed shortly afterwards had made the ships redundant, but it seemed that was about to change.

Christian cleared his throat. "I understand your concerns, but we should not be too hasty. If any new agreement is reached, it will only be the beginning of reestablishing trade. The last thing we need is a fleet of ships taking up space in our port."

"In any case, we need to be sure of how much we can expect to be trading before we make any commitments," Elsa said. "Still, it would be prudent to start as soon as is reasonably possible."

Christian raised a hand. "Wait a moment, your majesty. Before we continue, we need to decide whether or not to accept this gift. I understand there are plenty of ways we can use this wealth, and reestablishing trade is something many of our people will be grateful for. But let us not forget the crimes that resulted in you cutting off trade to begin with. Not to mention there may be some ulterior motive for their apparently generosity."

Elsa closed her eyes for a moment. "Am I well aware of their actions, thank you. However, the finance minister is correct. It's most likely that they will make it known far and wide about their little gift if we do not. To reject would likely end in outrage on multiple levels, something we do not need any more of. Above all else, this is a gift and nothing more. If we must remind their representative of that, then so be it. Now, onto the next topic." The discussion continued for the next hour or so, and like so many other discussions held within the room, didn't go anywhere in particular. Several ideas of how to invest the newly acquired funds were thrown around between subjects, but most of the time they were ignored, if not outright shot down.

Elsa looked at the clock adorning the wall above the door. "It has been an hour now. Unless there are any other matters that need discussing." The room remained silent. "The meeting is adjourned. We will discuss our ideas further then. Try to have some productive ideas ready by then." The attending members began to pick up their papers and file towards the exit. "Oh, and Blitzrein, I need reports on our incoming shipments, _without fail_."

Mikael suppressed a sigh. "Of course, your majesty." He quickly pulled his papers together and headed out the door as the other members had already left, stopping only briefly to take one more glance at the queen. As the door closed, silence filled the room again and Elsa let out a long groan. What in the world were the nobles from Weselton thinking? Were they really that desperate to forge a new agreement? or did they have some kind of angle like the high councillor had suggested? Elsa was all too wary of things that were too good to be true. A certain prince had seen to that. Still, there had to more that she could do than simply watch things…

"Hey, Elsa. Elsa!" The voice she heard was not the first sign of madness, rather Anna poking her head in through the door. "Come on, come on! You promised we could go skating. What happened?"

"Oh, I'm really sorry." Elsa got up and headed to the door. "Just some boring queen business. Don't you think it's a little late to be skating now, Anna?"

"But you _promiiiiised! _Besides, wouldn't it be kinda cool to try it out at night? You know, just the two of us, only the braziers to light the way, and your kindred spirits to keep you warm."

"Anna, you're daydreaming again. Besides, that sounds more like something you and Kristoff should try. Since he apparently has not yet returned, I suppose I should keep my promise to you. But only if it's safe, okay?"

Anna jumped. "Yes! Come on sis, it'll be fine, I promise. You worry too much."

"If only," Elsa muttered, as Anna pulled her to the courtyard.

* * *

The streets of Arendelle came to life as the sun parted with the sea over the horizon. People from all over gathered their supplies or simply headed over to their places of work, some setting up stalls in the market while the luckier citizens would simply spin the sign on their door indicating that they were now open for business.

In one of the main streets Mikael stood checking his pocket watch and tapping his foot. "Haven't got all day here," he whispered, clutching the small loaves of bread under his shoulder. Fortunately he wasn't left complaining for much longer, as a blonde haired man slightly taller than him and a lot more ragged looking came sprinting down the street to where he was.

"Sorry I'm late, Mik." The man said, gasping for air. "You know what me and the crack of dawn are like."

"And yet you're surprised that you still can't find work." Mikael rolled his eyes. "Come on James, I'm already late as it is." He set off on the street, not bothering to check whether James was following. He did pull out one of the pieces of bread from under his arm. "Here, fresh from the oven."

James grabbed it and gave a small laugh, before taking the first bite. "Ooh, you do know how to spoil me. This is totally worth the early start. I'd pick this up from the devil himself."

"And yet you'd still find a way to be late," Mikael said, munching his own loaf.

"Oh, come on. Can we have one conversation without resorting to the low blows? It's not my fault none of the shipping companies are hiring. And trust me, things would be a lot easier if I didn't have to walk everywhere." He gave Mikael a soft punch on the shoulder." That's we've got you up in the castle for, eh Mik?"

"Not for much longer, it seems. Oh, don't take it the wrong way. It just seems my services will no longer be required."

James perked up suddenly. "Oh, you mean something happened?"

Mikael gave a heavy. "You know I'm not allowed to talk about that."

James sidled in closer. "Yeah, but between you and me?"

"We're _so_ close, James." Mikael stopped for a second, and stared directly at his friend. "We just got this massive gift from Weselton. I mean _huge_. Enough to set an ordinary man for life. They're sending over someone for the celebration next week to seal the deal. This really could be it." Mikael laughed. "Which means no more handouts, I'm afraid."

"Oh, come on. You're not going to let your best friend starve, are you? Not everyone can be as lucky as you when it comes to finding work."

Mikael scoffed. "It was not luck, more like a unique opportunity that came as a culmination of planning along with some improvisation."

"Yeah, that sounds a lot like luck to me," James said, rolling his eyes.

"What do you mean, _sounds like_? You were there, remember? It still feels like it was only yesterday."

"Oh, here we go."

* * *

_Six months earlier_

It was a cold winter's afternoon. Or at least, conventional logic would call it an afternoon. The fact of the matter was the winter solstice had just come and gone and the sun had already since set. If that wasn't enough, a snowstorm blasted all throughout the city, making the cold winter air even less bearable than it already was.

However, in the castle itself any thoughts of cold were completely forgotten. A session of open court was on progress, and the room was filled with hot heads and heated arguments. Many of the citizens had come to voice their concerns and complaints, and the thought of returning to the bitter cold was daunting enough, let alone doing so empty handed.

"The government's position on this should be absolutely clear," councillor Christian announced from the raised platform where he and the remainder of the council who had made it were. Elsa set on her throne nearby, not giving any kind of emotion away. "For the crime of attempted regicide, the kingdom of Arendelle has decreed that trading with the kingdom of Weselton is completely prohibited indefinitely." It didn't take a perceptive person to tell that this was not a popular decision among the people.

"That's not fair!"

"How are we supposed to make a living?"

"We need to trade supplies!"

"You're not the ones losing out."

"Settle down, settle down," Christian shouted, as the complaints continued to come from all corners of the room. "We understand that this is a difficult time. The council is working on new trade agreements and contracts to keep our economy afloat. I am afraid you will all have to be patient."

The statement hushed the gathering of citizens for all of five seconds. It certainly didn't help that the cold winter was putting a harsh strain on people's already stretch supplies. However, the council wasted no time when the crowd stooped to insulting them.

"ENOUGH!" Bertrom shouted, getting everyone's attention. Once people adjusted to his exceptional brightness, he continued. "Arendelle faces a critical situation, one that stretches far beyond these matters. The decision to place the trading ban was the first decree placed by her majesty, and not one made lightly. We must stand by her decision not to tolerate greed and treachery, or else the consequences will be far worse than one difficult winter."

"Difficult? What the _hell _would you know about difficult?"

Mikael stepped forward from the crowd, ignoring James who had tried to grab onto his sleeve. "You can dress it up however you like, we the people are facing a critical shortage in essential supplies because you insist on denying us supplies from a prosperous kingdom through a fast, safe trade route. Sticking to principles is of little consolation to those who have starved to death."

"Watch it, _boy,_" Bertrom snapped back. "You think us common fools? That you know better than us? You talk as if you understand the _very _complicated political and economic battles taking place right now. We are doing everything in our power to keep Arendelle safe and stable during this period."

Mikael smacked his head. "Well in case you hadn't noticed, you're not doing enough! We wouldn't be here if that weren't true. And while I don't blame her majesty for it, we've been left in an extremely difficult position. You can say how much you're trying all you like, but the truth is that the other kingdom's aren't exactly lining up to do business with a country that could freeze everything in a matter of minutes. You need to be more pragmatic about this."

"So what, we should just go to the nobles of Weselton and beg that they open things up with us after they tried to have our queen assassinated? Have you even thought about the long term damage that could do? Of course you haven't, like every other common man who thinks he has all the answers."

Mikael reached into his front pocket. "First of all, it was you who ceased the trading, not them. Second, _yes I have_." he pulled out a rolled up paper. "Over the last few months, I've worked on this. While I couldn't figure out all the specifics, I have a way that Arendelle can keep their economy afloat and our fair citizens in business while still saving face."

Bertrom sighed. "Yes, and I suppose it can fly and summon the fairies as well."

"Well, if you'd just read it," Mikael said, extending the paper.

"I think not," Bertrom said turning away. "Like I have already explained, we know more about this than any of you seem to understand. We need patience and understanding, not temper tantrums and quick fix solutions. I suggest you leave now before your pride makes you do something else you regret."

Mikael's head sunk. "Damnit," he whispered. "_Damnit_."

James stepped forward and grabbed onto his sleeve again. "Come on Mik, before you get into trouble."

Bertrom scopped. "That's the first reasonable thing I've heard since you started talking."

Mikael growled softly. "You spout an awful lot of words you clearly don't understand. I'll go alright, but only because this is clearly a waste of my time." He stepped back to face the gathering of officials there. "I guess it's true then,we're all just a bunch of pawns waiting for our _passant_. You people really don't mind having people's starving families on your conscience. That is, if you even have one."

Without waiting for any kind of rebuttal, Mikael turned around and headed towards the door, his loud footsteps the only sound punctuating the hall. He reached out to the door handle with his hand, only to sharply yank it backwards. He breathed on his hand, when he noticed the entire door frame was becoming encased in pure ice.

He turned around, and of course there she was. Queen Elsa, who had remained silent during the earlier exchange had risen from her seat. And she was headed slowly but surely towards him. The hall was now completely silent, as the crowd of citizens wordlessly parted, opening a straight line between the two of them. Mikael's expression did not falter, but his breaths became just a little faster and deeper, and he started to shake. For what felt like hours, Elsa stepped towards him, retaining her dispassionate stare. Eventually, they were just a couple of feet apart.

"That was quite the assertion," Elsa started. "But I will have you know, I will _not _let my people starve. Even if I have to pay myself, I shall not allow me people to suffer, especially for my own decisions."

Mikael took a deep breath, and rubbed the sweat from his brow. "I see. But that's not the point. It shouldn't come to that at all. We're all willing and able to work. To earn our own keep. The right to do that; no, the _ability _to do that is more important that you might think."

"So, this is a matter of pride?" Elsa asked.

"Not, pride, purpose." Mikael's eyes locked with Elsa's. Almost everyone needs something that gets them up in the morning. I don't know about anyone else, but I couldn't live with myself if I felt like I was nothing but a burden to others. Could you?"

Elsa suddenly looked away, turning back after a few seconds of silence. "Let me see your proposal."

"What? Oh, here." Mikael handed the paper over, and which Elsa proceeded to unfold and peruse the contents. Mikael stayed focused on Elsa's face, but she didn't ask any questions or say anything at all until she had finished reading.

"This is, this is," she started.

Mikael cleared his throat. "I know it isn't perfect. I didn't have all the specifics, and it's not without its risks."

"Allow me to finish. I can tell you put a great deal of effort into this, and am impressed that you came here with a solution, instead of simply demanding that we change our decision. However, I cannot accept this proposal. As the councilmen have explained, the crimes committed against Arendelle are too grievous in nature."

"So we're still at an impasse." Mikael's head sunk. "I, I'll see myself out."

"Before you go. Will you return here the next time?" Elsa asked.

Mikael nodded. "As many times as it takes."

Elsa closed her eyes. "I assumed so. If you will truly insist upon this, then I recommend we settle this today." She cleared her throat. "I hereby issue an official challenge to you on the matter of the trade embargo."

The crowd of onlookers suddenly perked up, starting to talk amongst themselves. Christian pushed his way through the crowd to where Elsa was.

"Your majesty, _please_. There are a number of simpler ways for us to deal with this. Just send this man away. We can deal with these issues in due course."

"No." Elsa said, facing Christian. "I mean, this is not the way I want to resolve issues of this magnitude. This man has come with legitimate grievances, and a reasonable plan of action. If we simply turn him away, there's no doubt he will return. Who knows how much support he will have the next time? It's best we deal with this here and now." She turned back to Mikael. "Tell me, do you know how to play chess?"

Mikael gave a short laugh. "You could say that. Is that your challenge then? Who you will choose to represent you?"

Elsa smiled. "Nobody. The decision to embargo trading was mine, so I shall be the one to face you. If you win, I promise to implement you proposal as best as possible. However, if I win, I get to destroy it. Additionally, you will never bring this up again. Do you accept?"

Mikael laughed. "Without a doubt. Any time you're ready."

"So be it. We shall start at seven o'clock precisely. I must warn you, I will hold nothing back," Elsa said.

"Likewise." Mikael bowed. "Oh, that's right, I never introduced myself, did I? Blitzrein. Mikael Blitzrein."

Mikael and James stood in the hallway as the open court continued. James paced from one end to the other, while Mikael stood there taking slow, deep breaths.

"You're mad. you know that?" James said, not skipping a step. "There's no way what you did should have worked."

Mikael sighed. "I guess someone up there's looking out for me. I just couldn't let all that work be for nothing, you know?"

James finally stopped. "Hey, let's not celebrate too soon. I doubt the queen would raise the challenge if she didn't expect to thrash you."

"Perhaps that's the point. She probably thinks humiliating me in this challenge will send a stronger message than simply throwing me into a cell," Mikael said, rubbing his temple. "Still, she was in her right to do the latter, which makes this an improvement. Now I just have to win this game."

James put a hand on his shoulder. "Just be careful my friend. The queen might not be so sporting if she actually does lose."

"Noted."

The two of them stood in silence, watching a nearby grandfather clock tick by. The seconds dragged on, and for a moment it felt like seven o'clock would never arrive. Of course, time cares little for the dread or tension of those passing through. Eventually, Christian came out of the entry to the hall.

"Gentlemen. the time has come. I would recommend you refrain from any outbursts from now on," he announced.

Mikael gave a mock laugh. "Trust me, that shouldn't be necessary. Is the session really over? I didn't see anyone leave."

It seems that the people attending wished to spectate. Her majesty has seen fit to oblige them. Now, if you would follow me so we can begin."

Mikael and James shared a glance at each other before following Christian back into the hall. The crowd had parted and in the center a small round table had been produced, with 64 black and white squares in the centre. A set of ornate, carefully crafted black pieces stood on one end, while the other was conspicuously empty. Elsa stood by the table, and Mikael followed Christian until they both faced her.

"The official challenge is set," Christian announced. "In the matter of the trading disruption between the kingdoms of Arendelle and Weselton. Representing the house of Arendelle, her Majesty Queen Elsa. Representing the populace of Arendelle is mister Mikael Blitzrein. The challenge is a single game of chess, with no time limit. If a winner cannot be determined from the game, another game shall be started as necessary. Do you both agree to these terms?"

"I agree," Elsa announced.

"I," Mikael choked. "Agree".

"Very good. To ensure that no foul play occur, I must ask you to submit your proposal to me now, sir Blitzrein," Christian asked.

"I, well," Mikael started. "Fine." He hand the paper over, and he and Elsa took their places on opposite sides of the board.

"So, how do you plan to play without pieces?" Mikael asked. Elsa ignored him, instead closed her eyes and raising her left hand over the board. One by one, a series of pieces identical to the ones at the other end of the board appeared, except they were formed of a pure, immaculate ice.

"Now we may begin," Elsa said, locking eyes with Mikael. "Do you mind if I take the first move?"

Mikael waved his hand. "By all means."

At first, the moves came out fast and furious. Pawns vied for control of the centre of the board.

Knights jumped into the fray, while bishops and rooks applied pressure from the edges of the board. Slowly but surely, the pieces started to thin out as they were captured. However, neither player had been able to gain a significant advantage.

Elsa had launched a careful but vicious assault, aiming to catch Mikael off guard to win a crucial advantage, but Mikael had fortified his pieces well. Every time Elsa tried to make a play, Mikael was just far enough ahead to shut it down. The game continued for fifty, then a hundred moves at a virtual deadlock. The crowd had remained despite how dull the game would appear to the casual observer, fueled by the high stakes it carried. Though it certainly helped that no one wanted to go out into the freezing cold just yet. It wasn't until about an hour into the game that Elsa broke the mutual silence.

"Would you like a drink?" Elsa asked.

"Water's fine," Mikael replied, keeping his eyes fixed on the board. He moved a rook, fortifying a pawn on his right. "You seemed awfully quick to jump to this as the way top settle our dispute."

"Oh, _please. _Pawns? _Passant? _Only an avid player would know about those things." The silence resumed for another minute. "May I ask you a question?" Elsa asked. Mikael turned his attention to her from the board, but said nothing. She elected to continue. "When you introduced yourself, your name sounded familiar. Did you know Joseph Blitzrein.

Mikael sighed. "On the twentieth of september, Joseph Fitzgerald Blitzrein was recognised for saving the lives of his fifty-two crew members, and was awarded the Chrysler Cross for bravery. Every single one of those men said that he was the greatest captain that they had the privilege to serve under, and that Arendelle is lesser its loss." Mikael stared outside the window, where the snow was still falling. "But to answer your question: yes I did know him. He was my father."

The dialogue between the two promptly trailed off, but the game still taking place took a drastic turn. Mikael suddenly opened his line of pawns and launched an offensive. Mikael worked his way around Elsa's pieces, and the board quickly became less cluttered as pieces were taken off. Elsa's attack had left her own king relatively undefended. Mikael smiled. Just a few more turns like this…

It was as he thought this he looked he Elsa properly for the first time since they had spoken. Her face seemed to lack expression as always, only this time it also seemed to lack any kind of focus or drive. Elsa moved her hand over her pieces without even properly looking at what was going on.

"Stop," Mikael said, drawing her attention. "Don't do this to yourself, or to me. Trust me, I of all people understand how much is riding on this one little game. My hands would be shaking right now if I didn't keep telling myself that. I want to walk away victorious, but I want to to feel right. If I'm truly right, then I'll find a way to win no matter what. So don't hold back out of some misguided sympathy. Now that my father is gone, I have to step up and become stronger. You promised me that you wouldn't hold back. So make a real move, and become the woman that deserves to rule Arendelle. I promise you that no matter what happens, we'll both be stronger for it." Mikael breathed. That was quite the mouthful.

Elsa paused. Finally, she gave Mikael a warm smile. "I almost forgot myself. Thank you." The game continued in earnest, but it was becoming more and more clear that the end was drawing close. Both players had now stopped trying to gain a critical advantage and instead sought to win the game outright. Elsa set up her rooks to assault Mikael's back row while he was pushing a pawn all the way to the far end.

Everything had fallen into place. One move and the pawn would reach the end of the board. Once he had a new queen on his side, Mikael would win for sure. His pieces had edged their way around Elsa's king and would be quite able to seize the victory once bolstered. It was only at this point that Mikael realised he probably didn't have another turn.

As they raced to claim their decisive victories, Elsa had somehow come out one move ahead. The next turn she would be able to force a checkmate, and it seemed there was no way for Mikael to work around it. Even if he could stop the impending doom, his offensive would falter for sure. His hands finally started to shake, and he broke out in a cold sweat.

"Is this not what you wanted?" Elsa asked. Mikael couldn't tell if she was being smug or not. He was so close, _so _close to winning. But no, his conscience had to get the better of him at a critical moment. And now it looked like he was going to walk away empty handed after all of that work. He rubbed his temple. A way to pull it off. Did it still exist?

The minutes dragged on, and the tension in the room mounted even further. "I know that we agreed on there being no time limit, but you must accept the truth," Elsa said. "If it is any consolation, you have…"

Mikael held up a hand. Finally, he looked at Elsa and gave a wide smile. "Blitzrein rule number three: there's _always _a way to take the high ground." he moved his pawn to the end of the board. "I promote to knight. And that's checkmate." Mikael stretched his arms and rested his back on the chair. He had actually done it.

The silence in the room hung for just a few more seconds, before the crowd of citizens erupted into cheers.

Elsa looked around and couldn't even help but smile. "It seems that today, you are the people's champion."

Mikael laughed. "Sorry, it's just that I never expected things to go this way. They don't even know what my proposal was for you know." His smile suddenly faded as he looked straight at Elsa. "But you will implement it, right? We had a deal."

Elsa offered a hand. "That, we did. It would be unbecoming of the queen to back away from a promise. Thank you for reminding me of that."

* * *

"And just like that, the proposal went through. Arendelle began to send ships to Weselton again, under heavy restrictions. Any noble houses were not allowed to trade with us or to seize any Arendelle goods. We had to remind them of that once or twice, but in the end they weren't going to throw away their only chance to get back on our good side. Which leads us to where we are today." As Mikael finished up, they got the end of the streets and the castle came into view.

James rolled his eyes. "The still doesn't explain how you ended up working for the queen."

"Oh, that? She said there were some finer points of my plan that needed elaborating. So the next day I was invited back to the castle, and, well, one thing lead to another."

"Oh. Ooooooooh." James give Mikael a light nudge. "So the queen wanted your personal help? How interesting."

Mikael pushed him back. "Oh come on, you know it's not like that. Even if it was, we're worlds apart. And anyway, I kinda…"

James stopped. "You kinda what?"

Mikael sighed. "I think she might be mad at me. I'm not even sure why. I've done pretty well up to this point. Maybe I," Mikael stopped and stared at the ground for a while. "It doesn't matter. I just have to make it through this week."

"Well make sure you do, Mik. Or I might have to strangle you." James gave a laugh.

"I'll keep that in mind."

* * *

**Whew, this chapter was a doozy. Quite a bit faster than the last one I must say, but even so I did keep stopping because I thought things kept needing to be changed. Though in the end I guess it gave me the chance to add in things I might not have otherwise been able to.**

**In any case, please do leave your reviews and comments. It really does help to know people like to read what I've written.**


	4. Chapter 4: Finishing Touch

**4: Finishing Touch**

As the days drew on, the heat in Arendelle went from unusual to unbearable. Most people were starting to avoid the outdoors if they could help it, as they simply didn't have the kind of apparel needed to effectively deal with the unprecedented conditions. Of course, work was work and there was inevitably going to be more than a few poor saps who would end the day drenched in sweat, or worse, sunburned from spending the whole day outdoors.

The occupants of the castle were faring a little better against the brutal heat, thanks in no small part to a nearly unlimited supply of the perfect countermeasure. Most of the rooms in the castle had a thin layer of ice on the ceiling, with flakes of ice occasionally dropping down. As long as the ice never melted outright, the people inside could work without having to worry about the intense sun. And at this point, this was something they badly needed.

The jubilee celebration was now just three days away, and urgent deadlines were all over the place. Some had failed to be met while others loomed dangerously close, and as a result the work of Arendelle's officials became a kind of quiet madness. If forms didn't need to be filled, they were going somewhere else, either to someone else to authorise or into the city proper to be carried out. Which often involved yelling at people to actually brave the unforgiving heat.

Somehow, Mikael found himself in the middle of all of it. Official documents of all kinds vied for his attention all throughout the day. Requisition orders, guard reports, official complaints, even RSVPs for the upcoming festivities all managed to find their way onto his desk on this one particular day. It was already clear that his days in the castle were numbered, did they really have to try and force him out like this? It wasn't like there was a great deal of space in the room he had been given, and now it became more and more closed off as papers needed his attention.

The modest room that had served as his temporary "office" of sorts wasn't exactly out of place in the castle. The walls and the floors had been lavished the same way as any other room. Although this particular room only had one small window and when Mikael first arrived it was caked in dust, as though it had simply been abandoned before. He simply rolled up his sleeves and dealt with it, even if it meant being chided by the many castle workers who could have done it for him.

As a part of Arendelle's governing body, Mikael had long since accepted the truth that their work was never done. Today however, it felt like the he'd spend the rest of his life dealing with the problems he was getting today. Official procedure demanded that every paper stamped with the royal seal receive his attention, even if it was yet another complaint about the intense heat. What exactly did they expect the government to do, change that weather? _Then again… _no, he couldn't think like that. Best to just write the "official" response, and hope that people could fix their own problems for once. Boy, wouldn't that be nice.

Yet another knock on the door. If he got any more papers they wouldn't be able to get the door open. Whatever it was this time, it could…

Bertrom edged his way into the room, wearing far less jewelry than he normally did.

"Can I help you, sir?" Mikael said, turning back to yet another complaint.

"_Sir_? I guess the heat must be getting to you," Betrom said, checking his nails for imperfections.

Mikael pushed the paper aside and put his quill down. "Well, you had the decency to knock instead of just barging in. And it looks like it's not to pawn off more papers on me, so I'm feeling charitable right now. Use it wisely."

Bertrom stared at Mikael for a second, before straightening his jacket. "_Ahem_, yes I was hoping to get your input on this prospective return to trading with Weselton. Tell me, what is your honest opinion on this little windfall we've received from them."

Mikael stared back. "Well, I'd say it's a good thing, considering the difficulties we've face over the last year. But honestly, maybe it's a little bit _too _good."

"Ah, good, you understand. I trust you're aware that while we cut our ties to Weselton, they weren't the only partners we ended up losing it. A few felt the same way as that duke about magic. Many more were afraid that our queen might try to use her powers to force more favorable terms in our trade deals. I can't imagine the delegation from Weselton sang our praises after returning home. We're starting to turn things around of course, and this influx of wealth would certainly help."

"But?" Mikael asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, the gap in logic should be obvious, even for you. How did Weselton go from hating us to doing us such substantial favours? The way I see it, they went more than to simply return to the old agreement. I'm almost certain that they would want to escalate the terms of any agreement they strike."

"So? I imagine they lost a lot of money after the embargo came into place as well. Surely they would want to make that back as much as anything," Mikael said.

Bertrom sighed. "I don't think you fully understand how they work. I've had my share of dealings with nobles from Weselton in the past. Most won't even give you the time of day without some kind of angle. I believe the most likely possibility is that they wish to enter much larger, wider trading deal so they can leverage that to their own ends."

Mikael closed his eyes and leaned back. "Well, as much as I hate to admit it, you might have a point. If you're right about their unscrupulous ways, that is. Have you informed the queen about this yet?"

Bertrom started the pace the room, though he could only go a couple of steps each way"Ah, that's where the problem lies, you see. As you are _no doubt _aware, Weselton left probably the worst possible first impression on the young queen. I fear that the moment she hears my theories of suspicious motives, she will call the entire thing off. Gifts or not, that's not something we can afford at this point."

"So you want me to do it, am I right?" Mikael asked, rolling his eyes. "Not like all of you have left me a _thousand _things to do already today.

"Let me assure you that I had nothing to do with your current workload, believe or not. And besides, this is in all of our interests, even yours.

Mikael sighed. "I have to see her later anyway, I guess I can make it a thousand and one. I'll see what I can do, but I make no promises."

"Yes, that's about all I can ask for. Good day," Bertrom said, before leaving the room in silence once more. Mikael took up his quill once again before noticing the contents of the current report.

"Damnit," he muttered. The ship they were expecting from Westbury still hadn't arrived. The queen was going to have a field day with this.

* * *

The day dragged on, the scorching heat not letting up. As the sun reached it's peak in the summer sky, almost nowhere outside was safe from the heat, and no one dared remain outdoors without some kind of shade from the unrelenting heat. All, save one.

Anna had volunteered to go on a supply run for the castle, which while highly unorthodox ended up passing as the job had no other takers. This did mean that a guard would have to escort her, leaving the poor man with the twofold job of enduring the heat while in uniform and trying to keep up with the princess, both of which were challenging in their own right.

"Let's go, let's go!" Anna called out, running through the assortment of market stalls.

"Your highness, I cannot keep up with your pace with this many items in this heat." The guard has hauling a loaded sack behind him. "Are you sure this isn't enough for today?"

"No no no no no, there's still some items left on the list. Don't tell me you need to take two trips?"

The guard sighed. "No, of course not your highness. It's just." He looked up at the blazing sun. "The sooner we finish up here, the better, okay?"

"Don't worry, I got this," Anna said, slowing down briefly. "Now let's see here." She started to count her way through the row of stalls. "One, two, three, fou... here we go. Hello Rosetta." She had arrived at a stand filled with all kinds of fresh fruits and vegetables. Blocks of ice had been placed strategically around the produce, which gave off a vapour and made the stand quite a bit cooler than anywhere else nearby.

"Oh, your highness, how may I help you today?" Rosetta replied. She was only a couple of years older than Anna herself, had short golden blonde hair and a simple green dress covered by a white apron.

"Come on, Rosetta, I thought we were through this. It's just Anna, and it always will be." Anna closed her eyes and gave a smile.

Rosetta laughed. "Oh, but when you say that it just makes me want to say "your highness" even more. Anyway, what can I get you today? Everything you see here is as fresh as the was on the plant."

"Oh, I know I know. You never dissapoint me. Okay, let's see here," Anna said, starting to pat herself down. "Come on, it was here a moment ago."

"The list, princess?" the guard offered, along with a long piece of paper he held in front of Anna.

"Perfect. Okay let's see here." Anna went down the list to last part.

"Mind if I take a look?" Rosetta offered. "I can get everything you need, no problem."

"Oh, you're the best!" It only took a couple of minutes for Rosetta to get everything picked out and packed, increasing the guards burden even further. "Oh, while I'm here there's just one more thing."

"For you? of course." Rosetta procured a second bag and filled it before handing it over. "Will that be all?"

"Yeah, I think so. How much will that be?" Anna asked.

"You can have this one on me. It's the least I can do after you got me all the ice I needed."

Anna tilted her head. "Are you sure? That was a lot of stuff we picked up, you know?"

Rosetta gave her a wink. "Course I'm sure. Just make sure the queen knows the next time I need some more ice." She looked up at the sun. "Which might be soon."

"Oh, I know," Anna said, laughing. "I mean, I don't really feel it that much but whenever I'm about it's _alllll_ people wanna talk about. Not that I mind, though. It's just nice to be able to talk to everyone like this. I have been wondering about this. Maybe Elsa really _does _have tropical powers and she just doesn't…"

The guard cleared his throat rather abruptly. "Your highness, shouldn't we return with the supplies now?"

Anna gave a flimsy wave without even bothering to look at him. "Not now, can't you see I'm talking?"

The guard cleared his throat just a bit louder. "_Your highness_, we still have a job to finish. If we spend too long out here our food could spoil. Then we would have to make a second trip." He flashed a ghost of a smile.

"Okay, okay. I'll see you later." Anna gave a quick wave and dashed out of view not a second later. The guard sighed for what was probably the fiftieth time that day and tried to give chase.

* * *

Anna's dash back to the castle had gone rather well. With just a small fraction of the goods she had set out to acquire, she was close to making it back in record time. However, a moment of inattentiveness in the courtyard had allowed a rather large, solid figure to rather suddenly interrupt her progress. The next thing she knew, Anna was face up on the ground, no worse for wear save for the fact that she had somehow managed to land on the small sack she was carrying.

"I'm okay, I'm okay," Anna recited, lifting her back up a little at a time. She froze when she noticed the source of her dead stop.

"Hey, watch where you're… Anna?" Kristoff (for of course it was he) had been her unexpected interruption. The impact hadn't even caused him to stumble. In fact, the discovery of his partner had moved him more. He stepped forward and offered a hand. "I wasn't expecting to see you… out here. You know, thought maybe it would be cosier in there. With your sister."

Anna picked herself and brushed herself off. "Yeah, uh, me neither. I mean, I wasn't expecting you back. So soon. Oh, not that it's a bad thing. It's great! Really, really, great." The two of them avoided looking at each other for a few seconds longer. Soon, the people around them were starting to stare.

"I'm so sorry!" They blurted out in perfect unison. "Wait, why are you sorry? This is my fault. No, this is _my _fault! Wait, what?"

The pair stared at each other for a second. Anna was the one to break the silence. "You put all that work into making everything perfect, and then I went and ruined it with my weak stomach. You spent the whole trip watching over me, and it's all my fault!"

"Anna." Kristoff gave her a firm look. "There's no way you could have known. You spent almost your whole life in the castle behind me; and you're fit as a fiddle the rest of the time. Besides, you didn't even want to go on this trip." Kristoff wisely stopped before going into the reasons.

"Of course I wanted to go on this trip." Anna looked him in the eyes for the first time since the conversation started. "I know didn't at first, but I spoke to my sister. Then I realised that as long as you were there, it didn't really matter where we were going or how. We've been through worse, right?"

Kristoff finally smiled. Their first meeting was plenty of things, but memorable was one that stood out. In the end, both of them had their worlds changed forever. And they had truly found one another. "Princess Anna of Arendelle. We both know that we wouldn't be together if that wasn't true. That's just common sense. Do you really not think I feel the same way about you? As long as you're still Anna, it's all worth it."

Anna's lip wobbled. "So, so you're not mad at me?"

Kristoff took a step forward and embraced her. "It's okay. I honestly thought you had every right to be angry at me. That's, sort of why I was away for so long. I wanted to get you a little peace offering when I came back. I might have gone a little overboard, though."

Anna regained her composure and her eyes narrowed on the men. "What did you do?"

Kristoff motioned towards his sled beside him. It was hardly brand new any more, but the paint work had held up surprisingly well considering how much it had been used. The space in the back which usually held the shipments and other supplies appeared to be empty at a glance, so Kristoff lead Anna over for a closer look. "Well, I wanted to get you something nice at first, but then I remembered how you looked when we arrived, so it had to be something _really _nice. Then when I got there I decided why stop at one? I may have gotten a little carried away there."

"Uh, should I be excited or scared?" Anna asked. She didn't need to wait long to get her answer. The base of the storage area had been loaded with soil, and growing out of it were tens of flowers. Or more specifically, tens of one flower: the lily of the valley. All of them were in their prime and had blossomed with immaculate white petals. Anna was briefly at a loss for you words all over again. "You picked all of these. For me?"

Kristoff shrugged. " Well, yes and no. There wasn't much point in picking them if they were going to wither before I returned. And well, one thing lead to another and now my sled has a flower bed. And it's all for you. I hope you like it."

"I, I, " Anna stammered. "I love it! I love it so much. You shouldn't have gone to all of that trouble."

" I want them to last, Anna. Just like us." Kristoff turned to face Anna. "Are you crying? "

" Uh, no?" Anna wiped her face, but then turned away. "It's just, what I did wasn't nearly as good." She turned around and picked up the small bag she was carrying. " I hope you like it."

"Well, if this is what I think it is." Kristoff took a look. "Well, you certainly know what I like." How noticed Anna's expression. "Look, you went and got these for me, that's all that really matters. And in this heat, too. That has to count for something, right?"

Anna finally hugged him back. " Thank you. That means the world to me." She opened her eyes and gave her usual winning smile. "So, and what should we do? I mean before you take another bath."

Kristoff shivered at the notion. Elsa's behest had really pushed him out of his comfort zone. Castle life had its perks of course, but with that came a few more obligations every time. "Well, why don't we start with the lilies. They can't stay on my sled forever."

"Aww, but that seemed so romantic. Oh well. Let's go, my pungent reindeer king!"

Kristoff rolled his eyes. "If you say so, miss feisty-pants."

* * *

The hours dragged on and the heat persisted. But despite the common consensus, the day was finally nearing a close. The sun had begun its descent below the sea line.

At the castle, things had also begun to wind down. In spite of all the problems going on, everything had managed to stay on track for the most part, though the ample supply of ice had certainly helped. Supplies could be kept in the castle for longer without going bad, and everyone could work full tilt in relative comfort. In retrospect, it was hardly a wonder that no one wanted to leave.

Queen Elsa had most of the day to herself, quietly labouring away in her study, on whatever needed her approval. Even with all the misgivings, there were always people who needed her wealth. Or her influence. Or her. Only now she had pieces of the celebration to put together. Of course, in a rather twisted way this had become her comfort zone. While all of those years alone had somewhat stunted her ability to interact, it had also appreciate these times of pure solitude. Not that she had so many of them now. Anna and the officials had seen to that.

She finished signing an order for more candles to be delivered. That would just about do for the day. It was only going to get more difficult from here. There would be even more movement as the last of the supplies were brought in, and then everything had to be set up. There would be meetings, plans, and decisions. Plenty of decisions. Elsa thought about what had happened the previous year. Did she really think leaving all of this to her sister was the best course of action? Anna was supposed to be the rash one, for heaven's sake. She gave herself the luxury of a small smile, until a knock came at the door.

"Come in." It took a few seconds, but the door came open. Behind a rather cumbersome stack of papers was Mikael, trying not to lose his grip on them.

"Your majesty," he announced, though refraining from bowing owing to his considerable burden. "Here's all of the reports and other documents from today. There's also what I _think _are several requisition orders from the princess. It's just some forms that say certain individuals 'need some more ice'. I've filed everything in order of importance here for you, but you just need to check if you want to make any amendments."

"I see. Well, leave that on my desk." Elsa didn't even take her eyes of the document she was reading.

Mikael nearly rolled his eyes. This was about the closest he had come to a conversation with the queen since the meeting earlier in the week. This time it would be different. At the very least, he had something to discuss this time. "While I'm here, there were some concerns regarding the upcoming trade agreements."

Elsa turned to meet his eyes. "Which had to wait until now? Considering you were the one to initiate these dealings, now is not the best time to get cold feet."

Mikael scratched his head. "It's not cold feet, per se. It's simply a word of caution as to how these dealings go. We still do not know who they intend to represent them, and most of us agree that the rather extravagant gift seems a little too generous from them. Even as the agreements biggest proponent, I must urge a certain degree of prudence."

"Let me get this straight," Elsa started, standing up. "When the last representative of Weselton came to meet me, he attempted to have me assassinated. Do you really believe that I would be so careless as to throw caution to the wind just because they decided to throw some wealth our way. A gift _you_ didn't even bother to inform me of?"

Mikael suppressed a growl. "Look, section four point three of the trading act, circa eighteen- you know what, that doesn't even matter. From what I heard, the Duke of Weselton practically wore his greed on his sleeve. And yes, I am well aware of what he ordered. The point is, you might be so focused on that, you might not even notice some of the tricks they might try to pull."

"Master Blitzrein, I am Queen Elsa of Arendelle, its one and only titled sovereign ruler. I have hundreds of decisions to make every week, with thousands of people riding on each and every answer. Every decision I make requires a clear, impartial head. Do you honestly believe that this would be any different? That my even after a year, my judgement could be clouded so easily?"

Mikael sighed. "Look, I didn't mean to imply-"

"You're not helping me," Elsa said, taking a deep breath. Suddenly to top paper of Mikael's pile caught her eye. "And what is the meaning of this? The Westbury company's ship _still _ hasn't arrived? You see, now I have to make arrangements, find suppliers, make apologies. I don't need your inane advice at a time like this.

Mikael's eyes narrowed just a bit. "Then what should I do? Should I snap my fingers and change the tides? Maybe if I focus hard enough, I can make a more favourable wind blow." Mikael stood there for a moment, letting it sink in. "I guess. not. Sorry, _your majesty_, acts of God are your domain, not mine."

Elsa was stunned. "_Excuse me_?"

"_WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT FROM ME_?" Mikael shouted. He motioned towards his pile of papers. "Is that not good enough for you?"

Elsa needed a moment to formulate a response."Just- _go."_

"Fine!" Mikael snapped, before stomping off. He spared no effort in closing the door after him, which gave a rather loud bang as it snapped shut. While neither of them realised it, they both stood there for at least a minute, trying to digest what the other had said. While Elsa finally concluded that the pile of work presented to her probably needed a quick review, Mikael was pulled out of his stupor when he saw a gathering of people round the corner, trying not to be seen.

"Oh, piss off," he muttered, turning in the other direction.

* * *

Down at the market stalls, people were closing up shop for the day, relieved that they had a least a few hours relief from the intense heat. For most of them, that would be used up sleeping off the day's work, but for now it was time to enjoy their time off and the company of their loved ones. For some people, anyway.

After he left the castle, it didn't take too long for Mikael to run into James, who was at the market stalls engaged in some light conversation. It was definitely not a transparent attempt to mooch whatever people could spare, as he had repeatedly insisted. Mikael didn't even bother trying to get his attention or greet him, simply grabbing him by the arm and practically dragging him along.

"Woah woah woah, what gives, man?" James asked, trying to keep his footing.

Mikael let go of him once they were clear. "You know that place you told me about, the Rusty Anvil. We're going there. Now."

"Seriously? I mean, if you're offering I don't mind going a little earlier than usual. But what's the occasion? It doesn't sound like we're going there to celebrate."

Mikael pressed forward. "That's because we're not."

* * *

Even though she was even more distracted than usual, Elsa had managed to make it through the pile of papers she had been given. It had mostly consisted of skimming the parts that were important to her. If she wasn't efficient, there would never be enough hours in the day. That was something her father had taught her. Elsa stopped cold, before exhaling sharply. What would he have done at a time like this?

Another knock at the door. "What?" The door opened to Christian. "Oh, my apologies, high councilor."

"Not at all, your majesty. Did something happen between you and Blitzrein? He seemed in an awful hurry to leave just now."

Elsa almost jumped. "Oh, you heard that?"

"I believe half of the castle heard that little outburst. He sounded quite upset, if I may say so."

Elsa paused for a moment, trying to think of an appropriate response. "So, did you need something, councilor?"

Christian brought out a small package. "Ah, yes. The Westbury company's ship arrived not thirty minutes ago. They're aware that they may have caused some problems, so they've sent you a small token by way of apology."

Elsa blushed. With all the work she had been immersed in, she hadn't even gotten around to her gift from Anna. And that wasn't even going into the climax of her earlier spat. "If there's nothing else, may I ask for your assistance with something?"

Christian smiled. "Majesty, you know full well that I am sworn to assist you in any way possible, just as I was your father before you."

Elsa nodded. "I understand that. Only this is somewhat more personal than what I usually deal with."

* * *

The Rusty Anvil wasn't anything special when it came to taverns. A bar displayed a selection of alcoholic beverages, and a few stools and tables gave patrons a modest selection of places to drink and talk about the day. Of course, with the ways things were going the place didn't really need to be anything spectacular. All it needed and was a good selection of cold drinks and there wouldn't be a empty seat in the house. Tonight was hardly an exception.

Mikael hadn't acquired any particular tastes when it came to alcohol. In fact, he had barely touched the stuff at all. So he decided to learn the different types. He had started off with a simple ale. With a chaser of mead. With a chaser of lager. With a chaser of wine. With a chaser of rum.

"Isss, is the law," Mikael slurred. "Sub, sub-sec thingy. But doeees she listen? Naaaah! Cause thass fair! But only fa me."

James grabbed him by the shoulder and tried to get his focus. "Look, I'm sure none of this was your fault. But you have to keep it together. We're all counting on you, remember?"

"Awww, whas tha use. I stu, I stuck my neck out for her, and then we went and _ruined _it. How could I ever be like father. Stupid, stupid, _stupid_!" Mikael punctuated each use of the word by hitting his head on the table in front of him.

* * *

"You remember the incident back in January, correct?" Elsa asked.

Christian nodded. "You mean the riots? or should I say would-be riots. Hard to forget an incident such as that. That was some of your best work if I may say so."

Elsa turned to the window. "Was it really, though? How many rules and procedures did I break on the course of action I took?"

"Your Majesty." Christian gave her a hard stare. "The rules and laws of our land may have been intended to keep things fair and safe, but to be truly perfect would be impossible. You may not have acted to the letter of the law, but you had the spirit of the law in your heart the whole time, I assure you. For all of the risks you took, who knows how much damage we would have sustained if you chose to wait instead." He sighed. "In the end, you must decide for yourself whether what you did was right. For what it is worth, I'm sure your father would be proud of you."

"I, I," Elsa started, then closed her eyes. "Thank you. I know that the council never said much about the matter, but,"

"Well, not to you, perhaps," Christian admitted.

Elsa snapped out of her reverie. "I'm not sure I understand."

"Ah, well regardless of what they think, most of the council won't speak out against you on matters like this. Especially not with the way things ended. However, mister Blitzrein did not fare so well." He shook his head. "The were practically lining up to chew him out."

"Really?" Elsa asked. "He never mentioned any of this."

"I think the young man appreciates that you have bigger things to worry about. At least, that's how I see things."

"I see." Elsa tried to think of something else. Anna was probably waiting for her in the dining hall. Was there anything else? _Oh, blast_. How could she have forgotten? "Before you leave, there was the small matter of my jubilee speech."

"Ah, yes. While it normally falls to you to write it, I would hardly call these circumstances normal. I can have something suitable ready for you by the night before."

Elsa sighed. "Yes, thank you." How would she manage without him? Elsa put that out of her head lest she suffer an aneurysm. "I shouldn't keep you any longer." Christian curtly bowed and walked out. Maybe tonight wouldn't be all bad. She had the night for herself and Anna, who wouldn't be fretting about her relationship being on the rocks. Heaven knew Elsa did enough fretting for the both of them. Not that she let it on. Most of the time, anyway. She would also need to speak to Kristoff when she had the chance, There were a few matters of business, after all.

* * *

Mikael's drunken rambling had devolved into rambling and sobbing at the same time. "Fa-father. What tha hell woulda you done? I'm such an embarrassment. I couldn even keep your medal. I had everythin'. Everythin' I needed an I just _threw _it away!" His head slouched over onto the table, where he continued to cry uninterrupted. James looked around, and he noticed his friend's tirade was starting to draw some attention from the other tables and stools.

A burly man in an apron came up to their table. "I think the fella's had enough."

"Yeah," James muttered in agreement. "I'm really sorry about this, he sort of had a bad day, and he's never dealt with his problems like this before."

"Hah!" The big man laughed. "He hasn't thrown up, hit someone or broken anything. He's right above the curve if you ask me. Though I reckon you should get him home before he does something he'll regret. He'll be feeling this tomorrow as it is."

"Yeah, you're right. We should probably settle up and leave." He clapped his hands just above Mikael's head. "Come on my friend, pay the nice man so we can get you home."

Mikael thumped the table with his fist. "I can still 'member what happened." He noticed the two glares bearing down on him."Oh, fine." Just like the queen, the night couldn't last long enough for him. But sooner or later, reality would kick in. They had a job to finish, after all.

* * *

**AN: Whew, after way too many days and nights of getting way too sidetracked, I'm finally back. Thanks to all of you know waited this long. I'm hoping to really get the plot kicking off next chapter. See it soon (honest)!**

**Please do leave reviews if there was anything you like or didn't like. It fires up my inner writer either way.**


	5. Chapter 5: Burning Desire

**Chapter 5: Burning Desire**

The big day was here. Even with the heat persisting, and some arguing that it had only gotten even worse, spirits were high within the city. The streets were filled with stalls, and many of the walls had been lined with the national flag of blue, yellow and green. People chatted excitedly, while children ran through the streets and squares, keeping the city alive with cheer. Over at the harbour, a few final ships made port as the last remaining foreign dignitaries prepared to land.

While most of the celebrations took place in the streets and around the castle, a ball was planned to be held in the evening in which the queen would deliver a speech to the guests, and a night of dancing, conversation and general pleasantry would ensue until around midnight. At least, so went the plan.

Mikael and James walked together in the direction of the castle. There was plenty of time until the festivities in the castle began, but it was best not to leave anything to chance. Mikael had a new suit prepared for the occasion, a balanced grey hue and all the bells and whistles. Which for him, was plenty to distract himself with.

"How do I look?" Mikael asked casually, fiddling with the buttons on his cuff links.

James gave him a quick once-over. "Well, the suit, I'd say, was dashing. The face? Not so much. Were you awake all of last night?"

"No," Mikael quickly responded. "Only most of it. Had some last minute preparations. Can't have a single hair out of place."

James laughed. "Oh come on, Mik. You really think this could go any worse than the coronation ball?"

"Well, I guess not. Just as long as no one else suddenly outs some crazy magic." Mikael checked his bow-tie. "Still, this has been practically no end of work for the lot of us, and it would be nice if it could go to plan."

"And you're still sure you can't get me a plus one?" James asked, nudging him.

Mikael sighed."Idiot. And what exactly were you planning on wearing?"

"Ohhhhh, don't want me to embarrass you in front of _the queen_, eh?"

"Don't get me started." Mikael sunk his head into his hand. "If anything, I wish I could get myself a minus one."

They cleared the streets, and the castle came into view. "You know, you could just not go. Save yourself the discomfort."

Mikael elbowed him as hard as he could. "The trade agreement, you idiot! Don't forget about the trade agreement!" He saw James rub his arm. Maybe that was a bit much. "Maybe you're right. I'm still just some nobody who happened to have a good idea. The representative will probably want to speak to the queen and the other nobles, not me."

James grabbed his friend's shoulder "Oh, come on. That's not the Mikael Blitzrein I know. You know, the Mikael that stood his ground against the stiffest of nobles? The one who staked everything he'd worked on with a game against the freaking _queen_. Have you forgotten Blitzrein principle number three? There's always a way…"

"... to take the high ground. You idiot. Like I could ever forget." Mikael gave a small chuckle, which snowballed into a hearty laugh. "Well, that doesn't really change the facts, but it made me feel a lot better about this." He faced towards the castle and puffed up his chest. " If those councilors think they'll have the satisfaction of me going out with a whimper, they've got another thing coming. Time for Mikael Blitzrein's last stand!"

* * *

Within the castle walls, the preparations were still ongoing. Of course, Elsa had managed to get the food and other supplies in place and ready to go. The crockery was cleaned to a perfect shine, and piled up immaculately. The band was doing their final checks on their instruments and the servants were spotless. The only thing that needed attention at this point was herself. And her sister, of course. Fortunately, this was the one aspect they could leave to the capable hands of their servants.

"Ow, ow, ow." Anna winced. Her hair's ability to deteriorate overnight was almost miraculous, and it never went the way anyone wanted without a fight. As a middle aged woman worked out each of the tangles and other kinks, Anna struggled to stay still. "Awww, why do I always get this? You get ice powers, I get crazy hair powers. It's not fair."

"You did remember to use the conditioner I got you?" Elsa asked. The blank look and silence was all the answer she needed. "Next time. Use it next time. It won't be so bad. That's what I got it for."

"Yeah, sorry Elsa." Anna, hung her head, only for her hair to get pinched again. "Argh, not again."

"Hold _still_, your highness," the woman working on her hair snapped. Anna wasted no time returning to her original pose. Elsa hid a smile. The woman's name was Hilda, and she had been their stylist from way back before the late king had ordered the royal family's seclusion. Elsa wasn't sure whether it was her firm tone, piercing gaze or just an aura of authority, but she had this strange knack for keeping even the most unwieldy in line. While she quietly lamented that she was wasted as a stylist, Elsa had wasted no time in finding Hilda again when the had reverted their closed door policy the previous year.

"Will you be long?" Elsa asked. "Only I still have arrangements to check."

Hilda scoffed. "You worry too much, dear. I'm certain they'll survive your absence another hour or two. Of course, were I a lesser woman, that's what you might have needed." She pulled a pulled a few more tangles loose with her comb. "I think I can get this _bird's nest _looking more respectable with just a bit more work. Ten minutes, tops. You wanted a single plat this time, correct?"

"Uh-huh!" Anna said. She had to stop herself from nodding. "Something familiar, yet sort of new, you know?"

"Just hold still this time, alright? I'm good but I'm not _that _good." The stylist continued her work silently.

"Okay, okay," Anna conceded, before turning her attention back to Elsa. "So, are you going to do it this time?"

"_What_?" Elsa gasped, having skipped a heartbeat or two.

Anna sighed. "Are you going to dance, Elsa?" Elsa had not accepted a single dance offer even after the coronation ball. While her fears of hurting others had subsided substantially, though that didn't make any of the other personal barriers Elsa had disappear. "Sorry Elsa, you can't pawn me off on any stuffy nobles this time. I'm a taken girl!"

"I know, I know. It wouldn't hurt if you took up a few dances anyway, just to be polite. I'll defer to your judgement this time, though." Elsa smiled. "I still don't know if I'm ready to dance just yet. Maybe I'll be more up to it later."

"If not now, then when?" Anna demanded, making Elsa flinch. "I'm sorry, Elsa. I know we talked about this before. But how do you know how it's going to be if you don't try? You can't keep letting what ifs hold you back."

"Fine," Elsa concluded. "One dance. That's all. Nothing too fancy."

Anna's smile was so wide she could have swallowed a slice of watermelon. "That's all I ask. I'm sure the lucky man will let you lead."

Elsa's face went almost a red as a cherry. "Oh, that reminds me. How is Kristoff doing? Is he ready for the celebrations?"

"Almost. He should just be suiting up now. I can't wait to see how he looks. And I still can't believe you actually convinced him to wear one."

Elsa gave a sly smile. "I'm the queen, remember? I have my ways. Besides, if I could get him to start washing, anything is possible. I just needed to make a little agreement, that's all."

"What did you tell him?" Anna struggled not to make eye contact with her sister.

"All in good time, Anna. I promise you won't be disappointed tonight."

Anna groaned. "Oh, now I just want to know even more! It just burns me up."

* * *

"You're late." Mikael had just entered high councilor Christian's study, which wasn't too much smaller than the queen's, although it was decorated quite a bit less extravagantly. By the looks of things, the man was in no mood for pleasantries.

"Yeah, yeah, my bad," Miikael said, producing a pair of papers. "I'm sorry, really. This just, this just took a while for me to get just right. To be honest, there probably isn't much you can do to me that the queen isn't going to do already."

Christian cleared his throat. "Now is not the time to be selling yourself short, young man. There's more riding on this ball than you realise."

"I know that the representative will likely be getting their first impression of our royal house from us. I assure you that I will do everything in my power to be civil and respectful."

Christian briefly stared out of the window, where the sun still shone over the seas. "While there is that, I'm afraid it goes much deeper than that. I know the other councilors aren't exactly forthcoming when it comes to sharing information with you that they don't have to, so I won't mince words. The other kingdoms are, for a lack of a better word, _terrified _of our queen. While most know that she froze our whole kingdom in a matter of minutes, a lot of the other facts have become rather obscured. Despite our recent assurances to the contrary, most of them believe the queen would be willing to freeze everything they held dear on a whim if they upset her."

Mikael shook his head. "But that makes no sense. After what happened last year, queen Elsa had every right to declare war on two separate kingdoms. The trading restrictions aside, both of the instigators got off with a slap on the wrist, all things considered."

"Yes, we both know that," Christian said, nodding. "But those who live outside of Arendelle don't have any way of knowing besides word of mouth. When you factor in both of the instigators telling _their_ side of the story, things get decidedly more blurry."

"Heh," Mikael snorted. "I guess it's tough making things work out when everyone has their own agenda."

"You're closer to understanding that you realise," Christian said. "But that's where tonight comes in. I'm still slightly concerned that would visitor hasn't revealed themselves yet, but there's not much that can be done about that for now. If we can show everyone that Arendelle and her queen are willing to start working with the people who caused her so much trouble, it will certainly go a huge way towards easing people's fears." He turned his attention to the papers Mikael had presented. "Now, let's took a look at what you've done." He quickly skimmed through the words. "A little audacious if you ask me, maybe even grandiose, but I think we can get away with it." He gave a nod.

"I certainly hope so," Mikael said, scratching his head. "I spent most of the night agonising over it."

"Hmph, I suspected as much. In any case, you are dismissed. I will see you at the ball."

Mikael bowed, and walked to the door. "Very good. And if I may say so, it was good working with you."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Christian replied. Mikael could have sworn there a sneer to his words, but didn't follow it.

* * *

The much awaited time had finally come. Although it was still the early hours, things were warming up nicely. A few minor nobles, and other wealthy citizens of Arendelle had wasted no time exchanging pleasantries and dances, while sampling the finest cuisine that Arendelle had to offer. So far, Mikael had hung back on the sidelines. There was no sign of the royal sisters, though an introduction would doubtless come in due course. Lord Betrom sidled up to him, looking as flashy as ever.

"Enjoying yourself, master Blitzrein? I certainly hope you are, while you can, that is." Mikael didn't even have to look to see the smirk on his face.

Mikael just rolled his eyes. "Oh goody, yet another spurious bit of advice from mister dragon hoard."

Bertrom nearly popped a temple. "You watch your mouth, boy. We wouldn't want you to be ejected from the party prematurely, now would we?"

"No, you're right. We wouldn't." Mikael finally turned to face him. "_Especially_ not the queen. I'm here on business. You would do well to remember that."

"Why, you!" Bertrom took a couple of deep breaths. "Don't think I don't know about your little outburst. Your days here are numbered, you understand?" he stormed off. Mikael nearly burst out laughing. Maybe his advice wasn't so spurious after all. Tempting though it was, Mikael decided not to go around verbally sparring with everyone who had annoyed him. Only the ones who came to him first.

The band finishing their song, and the dancers in the centre of the room bowed and parted to either side of the room. The band rearranged their sheets, and began to play the national anthem of Arendelle, and inspiring harmony of strong bass wind instruments accompanied by a violin. The grand doors slowly came up and a small procession including the queen and the princess followed, and Mikael's thoughts were immediately stopped dead.

He was of course well aware of the queen's ability to make her own garments with her illustrious powers, but like a lot of the people attending that night he hadn't witnessed it for himself. He had heard about her stunning sky blue dress, but it was clear she had come a long way since then.

At first, there appeared to be flourishes of red coming from the cape.. Then orange. Yellow, green, blue. The whole spectrum of colours alternated, giving the feel of an aurora borealis, and making it seem otherworldly. A gentle flurry of powder snow followed behind, which vanished before it could reach the carpet. The rest of her dress struck a familiarity with what she had worn a year ago to the day, only the green lighter and more vibrant. The darker purple had been brighten just a touch, and her hair had been trimmed and folded to match its appearance from yesteryear. While Anna followed closely by, staying curiously tense, these was not an eye in the house that was not fixed on Elsa's divine appearance, save one. When Mikael had assured himself that his jaw was still attached to the rest of head, he turned his attention to Elsa, who was now facing the crowd. With a gesture from her hand, her cape came apart into snowflakes and vanished.

She cleared her throat, not noticing Mikael double taking. "Ladies and gentlemen, it is both my honour and privilege to invite you all not only to celebrate not just the year that has passed since I took my father's place as Arendelle's sovereign, but also to join all of us in opening new paths to a better future.

My father once taught me that it is those of us who are bestowed power, those who are taught to respect the power we receive, not those who endlessly seek it out for themselves are the ones that truly understand what it means to be powerful. That true power serves others, not itself. For what greater victory is there than for people to entrust the power you have given them back to you? For them to repay the generosity and kindness you have given them by giving everything they have for you?

To all of my subjects, both in this very room to the corners of my kingdom, I thank you for your understanding during one of my lesser moments, and all the time following that it took to fix the damage caused. It is thanks to your understanding, your patience, and your hard work that I can stand here and say that I am proud to be Queen Elsa of Arendelle. And for all the trouble I may have caused to you, I will give everything that I have to ensure you that I will repay you as many times as it takes, both as your queen and a wielder of magic that I have been granted.

And to all of you who came all this way from Kingdoms and provinces far and wide, I make you this promise: as long as you respect both our laws,our customs and my sovereignty, you are as welcome here in Arendelle as you have always been; both as visitors to our fair kingdom and as traders. All I ask is that you allow me the same chance that you had allowed to my predecessors, and we can prosper together as allies and as friends.

Finally, I wish to ease any remaining fears you may have of the powers of snow and ice that I command. The unfortunate truth is that there is the potential to cause untold catastrophe and tragedy with the power I hold, but it is no more than potential. Would you condemn the rulers of other kingdoms simply because the _could _lay waste to others with their armies and their weapons? My only desire now is to ensure the safety and prosperity of Arendelle and her people, and I have invested countless hours to ensure that I my powers shall only ever be used for the good of my people and our allies.

For the time being, I hope you all endeavour to enjoy the time you spend here this tonight. I hope this year is just the first of many that we may work together for a brighter future!"

A thunderous round of applause shook the entire ballroom. It would likely take more than that to ensure that her intentions were pure, but it was a good a start as any. When the applause finally died down, Elsa extended her left palm and shot a bolt of ice which burst into thousands of snowflakes which hung in the air. A few seconds later, the festivities resumed as people sought a new dance partner or discussed the speech.

Unfortunately, it seemed as though the queen's magical effects were little relief against the relentless heat. The ballroom of well dressed individuals probably didn't help either, and there was not a sweatless brow in the house. Mikael worked his way around the center to where the drinks were being served. Once he arrived, he noticed what he eventually realised was a familiar face. The painstakingly tailored black suit and shiny buttons threw him off at first, but there was no way he could mistake the man's height and build. "Mister Bjorgman, I believe?"

Kristoff turned to face him. He had a glass of chilled wine in his hand. "Please, call me Kristoff."

Mikael paused for a moment, before laughing. "Ha! I thought as much. Look at us. We could almost pass for respectable gentlemen."

"Huh, and what's that supposed to mean?"

Mikael sighed. "Oh, come now. Oh the way here, I saw you scratch yourself in three different places I'd prefer not to mention. You and me, we can dress as fancy or as expensive as we like, but the truth is we don't really belong here."

"Okay, you got me. Just try not to let the whole room know, okay?" Kristoff took a large sip of his wine. "You're not still mad about that whole running you down thing, are you?"

Mikael stared blankly at him. "Oh, that? Gods, that honestly feels like an eternity ago. I've only had about a thousand things to worry about since then. Besides, you did have the decency to apologise. If anyone else in this room did that, they would act like it was their _divine right_ or some crap like that. Well, except, ironically enough for the highest ranking two at this event."

Both of them turned their attention to the head of the room, where they could barely make out the royal sister over the crowd of people lining up for a chance to talk to them. "Yeah, I know exactly what you mean," Kristoff agreed.

Mikael grabbed a another wine glass from a passing tray and had a taste. "Indeed. I've heard about you and the princess. I take it you were her plus one?"

Kristoff shook his head. "_Technically_, I was awarded in invitation as token of appreciation for all of my work supplying the city with the ice they needed. Really, I'm just doing my job, getting something people happen to need right now. And to think, this time last year I was complaining about a supply and demand problem."

"I can imagine. How quickly things can change. I like to think it's all been for the better, though." Mikael raised his glass. "To Arendelle."

"And it's wonderful queen and princess," Kristoff added.

"Hear, hear." They clinked their glasses together. Mikael took another sip, while Kristoff knocked the whole glass. "Are you quite alright, my friend?"

"I'm fine, really," Kristoff said. "I just need a little liquid courage is all."

Arendelle castle's head manservant, Kai approached the two of them. "Mister Blitzrein, the queen requires your presence."

Mikael looked at his glass. "You know what, I think I need some as well."

* * *

Mikael hurried through the crowd to where Elsa was greeting and talking to the guests. It seemed he had just missed the princess, who had left to join the current round of dances. Even given their current situation, seeing Elsa the way she was still made his heart beat faster.

"Your majesty," he said quickly, giving a curt bow.

"Over here," she instructed, motioning to her right. With a quick couple of steps, Mikael was facing the crowd along with the queen, and by this point he was sweating bullets. We wiped his brow and noticed the queue to speak to the queen that was there not a moment ago had vanished.

Kai had returned, giving Elsa a quick bow of his on. "Now may I introduce to you, the duke of Weselton."

"_What_," Elsa whispered under her breath, before the sight of an all too familiar suit appeared before her, save a few less medals. However, it was there that the familiarity immediately ended. The man in front of them had to be at least twenty-five years younger than the visitor from Weselton last year, and he had a polished head of light brown hair, no doubt the real deal this time. And while he probably couldn't match up to Kristoff, he was definitely taller than the average man.

"Duke Everlow, at your service," the man introduced himself after standing upright again. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you face to face."

"Explain yourself," Elsa demanded. "I was not informed of who was coming here from your kingdom until today. Now that you have arrived, you come calling yourself the Duke. You are aware of what the last Duke ordered, correct?"

Everlow gave a second bow. "A thousand pardons, your majesty. Yes, I am well aware of what my father came so close to doing. Rest assured, he was forced to resign from his title soon after we found what had really happened. Regardless of his reasons, his actions far exceeded any kind of authority he may have had. I've come to try and fix the bridges he burned. The reason I could not reveal my identity to you before now is because I was afraid of how you would react. If you heard that the "Duke of Weselton" was coming to your jubilee, you might have called the whole thing off before learning the whole truth,"

Elsa listened intently, and took a moment to think of a response. "Even so, you could have simply informed us of the succession. All of this cloak and dagger only makes your motives even more suspect."

Everlow nodded. "I considered that possibility, but there was always the chance that you would suspect that I had the same agenda as my father. I believe that only by looking you in the eye can I convince you that I want nothing to do with him or his prejudices. All I ask is for a fair chance. Not unlike yourself. After all, it was myself who accommodated your sister during her visit, and sent you the token of our apology."

Elsa considered. There had been no mention that he was the one responsible for the gift, but it made little sense for it to be anyone else considering the considerable value it held. Not to mention he seemed awfully _eager _to prove himself. "Very well. We shall see if you deserve this in due course. Consider yourself a guest in the house of Arendelle as we negotiate our new terms."

Everlow finally smiled. "Oh, thank you so much, your majesty. I assure you I will not miss the same opportunity that my father did."

"I should certainly hope so," Elsa said nodding. "One more thing before you go. I would like you to meet mister Mikael Blitzrein. It was through his tenacity, creativity and industry that our new trading relationship is possible."

Mikael stepped forward and gave yet another bow. "A pleasure, my lord."

Everlow gave him a once-over. "So I take it you're the one who made things so difficult for us with all those rules and restrictions?" Mikael opened his mouth, but nothing came out. "Hah! I like your mettle." He offered a hand, which lead to them shaking. "You'd have made a fine Weselton merchant. In the past, of course. That's all about to change."

"I look forward to the negotiations," Mikael concluded.

"As do I." Everlow turned his attention back to Elsa. "And now, your majesty, there is one more thing before I leave you. My sources tell me that you will participating in exactly one dance tonight." Elsa scanned the dance floor, trying to zone in on the only "source" it could have possibly been. "So, if I might be so forward."

Anna and her big mouth. Of course, she was far craftier than Elsa had given her credit for. There was no way she could possibly back out of having at least one dance tonight, and deep down they both knew it. "I am flattered, but I would prefer some more time to choose who my partner might be."

"Not to worry, I understand. Still, I'll eagerly await your decision." Everlow turned and left, and Elsa gave a quiet sigh. She could only put this off for so long.

* * *

For the last few minutes, Anna had been burning up the dance floor. She had taken Elsa's request perhaps a little too much to heart, or perhaps she simply wanted to scare the rest of the attenders too much to try and partner with her. In the latter case, she was certainly succeeding. Another young man stumbled off the dance floor, not quite sure what had just happened. He was certain that the princess had accepted a dance, but the moves she had just done completely bewildered the poor fellow.

Anna was practically hopping back and forth, looking to all the world like an arena champion daring her next challenger. By this point, there was only one man brave enough to face her.

"Kristoff! good to finally see you here. You ready to show them how it's done?"

"Actually, Anna, I," Kristoff started, but Anna didn't even bother waiting for an answer. She pulled him forward and assumed the dancer's embrace, ready for the next score. "Anna, I'm not sure I'm ready to-"

"Come on, how do you know if you don't try?"

Kristoff sighed. "Don't say I didn't warn you." The violins started a gentle tune, signalling the start of the waltz. Despite the difference in size, Anna naturally took the lead, with Kristoff barely managing to keep his steps up. To his credit, he managed to keep his footing even with two sudden spins, and twirled Anna with almost perfect timing.

"Don't tell me you've been taking lessons," Anna said. "The washing, we sort of expected. The suit, I can understand. But this? This is not the Kristoff I know."

Kristoff looked down at her, still not missing a footstep. "Isn't it? Not the man who foolishly thought the woman he tended to day and night would be mad at him? Not even the one who spent day and night getting the very best flowers because he knew you'd like them?"

"I loved them, Kristoff." Anna's eyes were starting to water. She looked him in the eye. "You did all of this for me?"

"Oh, Princess Anna of Arendelle. I'd watch over your sick, pale body for the rest of our lives as long as I got to see you smile. I would move the whole north mountain so you could see the sun shine again."

"Oh, Kristoff." As the music slowed and the piece reached the last few bars, Anna slowed down, forgetting the rhythm to rest her head against Kristoff's chest.

As the song ended, the two of them broke off. Instead of bowing however, Kristoff reached for his pocket. "Anna. Will you make me the happiest Ice Master and Deliverer in the world?" He got down on his knee and presented Anna with not just any ring, one truly worthy of royalty. The gold was almost pure and polished to a lustrous sheen, and adorning the top were three small, clear diamonds.

"Kristoff," Anna whispered, the only sound that permeated the ballroom at that very moment. her mouth stayed open as time itself seemed to stand still. "Oh, yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes _YES_!"

Kristoff got up and grabbed Anna, swinging her around in a tender embrace. The onlookers started a round of applause, which quickly gained steam. if there were any dissenters to the emotions of the moment, they had chosen to remain quiet for now. The newly engaged couple continued to take center stage, engaging in dance after dance. It looked like they were going to go all night.

Elsa was greeted by a familiar face.

"Your majesty," Christian said, bowing. His black suit was adorned with frills and jewels that belied his relatively low standing. "Might I say, what a night this had been."

"Thank you, councilor," Elsa said. "Might _I _say that you look most dashing tonight."

Christian laughed softly. "Don't let my wife hear you saying things like that. It's bad for her poor heart."

Elsa smiled and nodded. "I must thank you for your, shall we say, _assistance _with my personal planning."

"Not at all, my liege. If anything, I'm rather impressed you managed to commit the entire thing to memory so quickly." Christian moved a bit closer and lowered his voice. "If I may confess, majesty, but I wasn't solely involved in the speech's composition."

Elsa nearly jumped. "Christian, you assured me-"

"That I would have something ready for you. That's all." Christian finished.

"Then whom-" Elsa wondered for the briefest of moments. Until her eyes locked with Mikael's and his quickly darted back to the center of the ballroom. "I see."

"My apologies for the deception."

"I understand, councilor." Elsa closed her eyes. "and I appreciate your honesty. I believe that you may not have done the right thing, however, you did so for the right reasons."

Christian laughed again. "I'm so glad you understand. It'll be sad to leave the council for good."

Elsa's smile faded. He had to bring that up. "Councilor, you will always be welcome in our home. Never forget that."

"As if I ever could. Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'll take advantage of the wine they're offering. I've heard it's most exquisite." He turned and returned to the celebrations.

Elsa took a deep breath. It seemed she had a momentary reprieve from the bombardment of well-wishers and prospective dance partners. She smiled warmly as she saw Kristoff and Anna's passion. She would of course have to provide her blessing to the marriage. Then deal with the inevitable fallout of a marriage between her sister and a commoner. And most likely the foreigners who would then turn to her when they wanted a little more than an alliance. But right here, right now, for once, everything felt right in the world.

She noticed Mikael in the corner of her eye. Officially she had never dismissed him, but he could have left at any time. Was he afraid of an icicle in the back if he just upped and left? No, even with how tense things were, he had never been afraid of Elsa, either as sorceress or queen. Even if he perhaps should have.

"Councilor Blitzrein," she announced, getting his attention. "Dance with me."

Mikael swallowed. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Dance _with me_," Elsa repeated.

"I'm- I'm flattered, but I-" Mikael stammered, pulling at his collar.

"Your queen commands you."

"I've never even danced before." Mikael was close to bolting.

"Then let us see some of that tenacity, creativity and industry." Elsa offered her right hand. Mikael slowly took it, and as they advanced onto the dance floor, Mikael tried futilely to get the blood away from his face. The people nearby immediately stopped their conversations and laughter as they observed. Mikael lost count of the number of cold looks he had gotten, but they all allowed the two of them to take centre stage unimpeded.

"Take my waist," Elsa ordered.

"What? Oh, right." While Mikael hadn't danced himself, he had plenty of time to observe others that evening. With the music playing and no one too near, Elsa could probably micromanage their movements. Just as long as she didn't try anything too fancy.

The music started. "Left-step, right-step, left-step, right-step," Elsa whispered. Mikael was having no trouble so far. Though it wasn't like they could simply continue to move back and forth the whole time. Soon enough, Elsa started to turn, and Mikael managed to follow. She quickly changed tack with a turn in the other direction, which went without a hitch. He even managed to get Elsa into a twirl somehow. However, when Elsa tried to force a few steps forward, that was too much. Mikael stumbled and lost his footing. With one slip leading to another, Mikael fell backwards and managed to pull Elsa with him.

"Majesty, I-" he started. He could feel the hundreds of stares boring into his soul. But he wouldn't dare move, not with the queen on top of him. When she had regained her bearings and gotten herself up, Mikael did the only thing he really could. He bolted towards the door and pushed through, party be damned.

* * *

James had been enjoying the festivities even without his friend. The stalls had been decorated with the national flag and were offering all kinds of sweet treats. It was one of the few times of the year that he could enjoy something slightly more flavourful than bread. Sure, he appreciated his friend's patient charity, but man did not live on bread alone.

Like all good things, it had to come to an end, and he soon found himself without much to do besides wander around. That was another problem with not being employed. It was rather difficult to keep the same sleeping hours as everyone else when you didn't need to. He took to the streets, which didn't have much light to go on most of the time. Fortunately, there was a full moon in the clear sky, and everywhere was bathed in a gentle, white glow.

His stroll was cut short when he heard a noise ahead. He tensed up, made careful steps around the corner, to find… an old grey haired man. Taking a deep breath, he noticed that he had dropped his cane.

"Here, let me get that for you," James offered, picking it up and holding it out for him.

"Bless your soul, young man. Good manners are so hard to find, these days." James noticed for his age, he was quite well dressed. Not exactly fancy, but free from dirt or tears nonetheless. "Say, wasn't there a ball? What's a man like you doing all the way out here on his lonesome?"

James gave a harsh, forced laugh. "Yeah, that's for the rich and powerful. There isn't much money in acts of kindness, I'm afraid."

"I wouldn't be so sure, young man. At the very least, why don't you have a drink with me and tell me about your troubles."

* * *

"I wondered why no one had seen you leaving."

Midnight had come and gone, and the ball had drawn to a close. As per tradition, Elsa had been the last one to leave, but not before making sure everyone who had travelled from outside the borders was set for the night. Before she could retire herself, she had received the report. Perhaps everyone's affairs hadn't quite been set in order.

"Oh, your majesty." Mikael had been in the garden, staring out at the calm seas until he had been interrupted. He threw his head down while heading for the door. "I- I was just leaving."

"Mikael, wait!"

He grabbed for the door handle and pulled. "I really shouldn't- the guards will probably-"

"_Please_."

He closed the door and walked back to her, head hung low. "So, when my banishment being made official?"

Elsa forced a smile. "There's no need to be dramatic. This was my fault. I asked far too much of you so suddenly. And not for the first time, either." Elsa suddenly winced.

Mikael took a step forward. "Oh, are you alright? This isn't because I took you with my little pratfall, was it."

"Oh, no. It's these heels. I've been standing for the past six hours by my count."

Mikael gestured to the grass below them. "Then why don't we sit down?" Mikael went first, and after a moment's hesitation, Elsa followed. "Isn't that better? It's nice to take the pleasure in the simpler things every now and again."

Elsa gave him the first real smile he had seen in days. "You know, it is good to hear you say that."

"Don't get me wrong, I'm still so embarrassed I could die." Mikael rested his forehead in his palm, reliving the moment. "You know how many complaints you're going to get now? I can already hear them now: _you had one person to choose to dance with, and you chose the common boy with two left feet_."

Elsa chuckled for a few seconds, then sighed. "That isn't bad, except you missed the part where they go into great detail about how they were the better choice by far. Oh, Mikael, why did I ever try to stop you from being you?"

"I think I just showed you why in that ballroom. Because the real me has an awful habit of causing you problems. Just like most of this last week."

"I already told you, Mikael," Elsa said firmly. "That was mostly my fault. You know that letter I showed you last week? The one on the way to the _Ice Climber_." Mikael nodded. "I received that letter five months ago."

"Yeah, in retrospect I have a pretty good idea of who it came from." Mikael saw Elsa's glare. "Go on."

"You popularity, or lack thereof has hardly been a secret around here. I knew that as long as we continued the trade restrictions on Weselton, I could convince the other councilors that we still needed you."

Mikael closed his eyes and scrunched his brow. "I think I understand now. When the trip to Weselton had ended successfully, you suspected that we might return to full trading agreements sooner rather than later."

"Exactly,what I was not prepared for was for them to extend such a big olive branch to us so soon. The next thing I knew, we had a week before a new agreement would begin. So, I believed if I could show the council that under your brash, confrontational appearance there was a reliable, industrious young man." Elsa curled herself up. "In the end, I only succeeding in making you furious at me."

"Furious? Heavens, no." Mikael looked around. "If anything, I was more upset than anything else. I kept pushing myself harder and harder, bottling up all the feelings I had about the condescension from the other councilors, and all I got was more cold shoulder. I was afraid you had stopped being the one thing I liked the most about you."

"Oh?"

"My queen, you were something almost every other noble I've known doesn't seem to grasp. Fair. you gave me a chance, when all others would have thrown me into the dungeons just to teach me a lesson. Somehow, you managed to look past my lack of status and _utter _lack of decorum, and see the potential even I might have missed."

Elsa sighed again. "Even so, I still feel as though I have failed you. I should have seen how short-sighted my plan was. At the very least, I should have been more clear about it. How can I call myself queen with such stupid mistakes?"

Mikael smiled. "Hah. You think that's bad? I was kicked out of the military."

Elsa stared at him. "Really?"

"_Twice_. Once more and that's it. Some son of a war hero I turned out to be."

"That doesn't sound like you, Mikael."

"Really? Well, I'll let you in on a little secret." He moved in closer to Elsa's face to whisper. "_I don't get on very well with authority_."

"Hmm. I guess I should have known in retrospect. Why did you tell me that?"

Mikael sighed. "I guess I just wanted you to realise that things rarely work out the way we plan. There's a difference between doing the right thing, and simply making the right thing happen."

"Yes, you should know, mister two left feet," Elsa said with a wicked smile. "So you won't leave the castle tonight and never return?"

"Well, I guess If I'm still welcome here."

"_Of course _you're still welcome here. Just as long as I can hold the council at bay."

"Well, you're the queen. That has to count for something." Mikael looked up at the full moon. "It's a beautiful night, isn't it?"

"That, it is." Elsa looked back at him. "For the most part, it was a successful night. The new Duke seemed impressed by you, and my sister- my sister-" Elsa started to choke up. "Well, she had the happiest night of her life."

"I know." He lost himself in thought. "You know, you never really did tell me about your sister."

"Well, Anna, Anna. She's always so full of life. Whenever I see her smile, I can't help but do that same. And not just because she's my only family." Elsa looked up to the moon. "You know, on nights like this she would always stay awake all night. She would say that the sky was awake, so she would have to be awake as well. Actually, that hasn't changed all that much. She's not much of a morning person as a result."

Mikael gave a short laugh. "Well, judging by the last time I saw her, I don't think she would be getting much sleep tonight anyway."

Elsa's smiled faded. "You're not seriously implying-"

"What? That her and Kristoff might have a small bout of pre-nuptial passion? If she'd anything like me, like you said-"

"NO! nononononono, not my sister." The two of them stopped for a moment to calm down. "Okay, Mikael, your turn. Tell me about your family."

Mikael turned away. "There isn't really much to say. You've probably heard about my father already. I actually heard he was honored by _your _father once or twice for his victories at sea. Well, one day he met my mother and they just knew it was meant to be, or something along those lines. So he put aside his medals and uniform and they started a bakery together. And then they had my brother and me. And everything seemed great. My brother, Tomas, he would always look out for me. No, they would all look out for me."

"Mikael, you never mentioned a brother before."

"I'm sorry, it's not something I like to discuss. You see, my brother was on that same ship as my father that fateful September."

Elsa rested a hand on Mikael's shoulder. "Oh, Mikael, I'm so sorry."

Mikael tried to force a smile. "No, it's nothing like that. I told you, my father was honored for saving the lives of his whole crew. That included my brother. But you see, he was hit by a piece of debris in his right leg. They didn't have to amputate it, but he lost most of his movement, probably for the rest of his life. And, well I don't think he's truly recovered from that day. I'm afraid he might never. My mother, bless her soul, still mourns for him, but she's still trying her hardest."

Elsa's head. "Mikael-"

"Please, don't worry about it so much. Once the trade agreement goes through, I can work on making us-" Mikael stopped, and looked back at the castle. "Elsa, do you smell something?"

Elsa took a sniff herself. "I didn't notice it before, but you're right. I think it's- smoke?"

A guard burst through the door behind them. "Your majesty! I'm glad I found you. It's an emergency. There's a fire!"

Both of them sprang up to their feet. "Where is it?" I can stop it from spreading if we hurry," Elsa said.

"The fire seems to be coming from the royal chambers. We should head there right away!"

Elsa looked as though she had seen a ghost. She shook her head. "I will deal with the fire. Both of you, get everyone to safety! And keep everybody calm. I have this under control."

Elsa threw off her high-heels and ran as fast as she could. As though her life depended on it. Flaked patterns of ice emerged from her feet with each step. Her heart beat faster and faster, until she thought it would explode. When she turned the next hallway, it very nearly did.

The hallway leading to hers and Anna's chambers had become enveloped with flames. Elsa was on the verge of tears. No. She was the queen. Now was not the time. With a deep breath, she extended her hand and let an ice blast suppress the flames. If the fire had grown for a few more minutes, it might have endured, but in its current state,it stood no chance against the snow queen.

Next was Anna's bedroom, which wasn't faring any better than the hallway was moments ago. This time Elsa was a little more careful. She encased her hand in ice, and slammed it on one of the walls. In moments, the floor and walls were all covered in magical ice. Soon, the flames died down from the cold. But Anna and her fiance were nowhere to be found.

"ANNNNNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" the echoed throughout the castle.

* * *

**AN: Whew, and I thought the last chapter was a doozy to write. Thanks so much for staying with me this far, I'm really grateful for all of you who were so patient.**

**Please, please, please leave a review and tell me what you liked and didn't liked. I didn't get a single one after my last chapter and that made me a little sad. I really do want to hear all of your thoughts. I've had my plans for this story for so long, and it's finally paying off.**


	6. Chapter 6: Do you believe in magic?

**A/N: Whew, thanks for hanging in there everyone and sorry for the delay. I promised some plot proper and here you go (I hope)**

**I still don't exactly have any proofreader or any proper help, so be wary of any mistakes I might have missed. And please, do keep leaving your reviews. If you have anything more specific to say, that would be awesome.**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Do you believe in magic?**

To the untrained eye, the home of the royal family of Arendelle had gone from a night time bliss to utter chaos in a matter of minutes. It was closer to the truth to say the it was organised chaos.

As soon as the fire had been noticed by one of the patrolling guards, the captain was roused and all available hands were called into action. The priority was clear: get all of the visiting delegates along with anyone else who happened to still be around to safety as quickly as possible. The last thing they needed at this point was a night of celebration to turn into tragedy, let alone a diplomatic incident. Secretly, the guard corps as a whole relished the chance to be put through their paces, especially with so many people sure to notice. This, however was dampened by a hint of fear, as the fire seemed to be centered around where the queen and princess slept. For the longest time, neither of them had been accounted for.

Through an unlikely glance into the garden, the queen's location and safety had been confirmed, spreading like the fire itself. With her at the helm, the fire never stood a chance.

The courtyard was now filled with a number of individuals who had been occupying the castle not minutes before; the majority were the staff who lived in the castle and any visitors who had been invited to spend the night following the festivities. A pair of guards stood at the entrance, while most of the rest continued to search the castle in case there were still any stragglers. Most of the people assembled were dressed in nightgowns and were none too pleased to be roused so suddenly, which was hardly surprising.

Mikael had been pacing not too far from the entrance of the castle. The flow of people from inside the castle had all but halted, and now people were starting to talk amongst themselves, most of them curious as to what exactly was going on. The chattering crept up in volume over time, which made it more difficult to focus. The fact neither the queen or the princess had emerged didn't help matters much, either. Then it struck him; the others would no doubt have that as their main concern. And the queen had ordered him to keep people calm. He headed towards the centre of the courtyard and got up onto the rim of the fountain.

"Everyone, please remain calm! There have been reports that a small fire has occurred inside the castle walls. The queen has gone to prevent it from spreading any further, and relayed orders to keep everyone safe. There is no reason to believe that she is in any danger." The _I hope _addendum was tactfully avoided. As people began to settle down, Mikael's other fear was somewhat allayed: that everyone would recognise from the earlier fiasco. Even with the full moon it was still dark enough to obscure his face, and it didn't sound like anyone had recognised his voice. That was, until someone shuffled through the crowd towards him.

"Blitzrein. What the devil is going on here?" It was Duke Everlow, who seemed to have been in the process of removing his suit before he was interrupted.

"I've already explained everything I know," Mikael said, stepping down. "If you ask me, it's probably someone who had a bit too much to drink having a little accident. I can't imagine anyone who wished ill against Arendelle would start a fire."

Everlow scowled a bit, but nodded. "Indeed. Not exactly the end of the night I had been hoping for, mind you."

Mikael sighed. "I understand. Although as emergencies go, this doesn't seem too bad." He saw someone coming out from the corner of his eye. It was Reynold, Arendelle's foreign minister, flanked by a pair of the guard.

"Oh good, I found you," he announced. "Guards, arrest this man!"

Mikael's face couldn't have scrunched further if he tried. "Oh, you are _not _stooping so low as to-"

Reynold held up a hand. "Not you. _Him_." He had meant Duke Everlow.

On further consideration, Mikael's face _could _scrunch further. "Hang on a second, you aren't seriously asserting that the Duke is responsible for Arson or something?"

"That is correct, master Blitzrein. Now if you'll excuse us, this man has a cell with his name on it."

He stepped forward towards Everlow, only for Mikael to interpose. "Do you have any actual basis for this claim? _Any at all_?"

Reynold tried to force Mikael aside, but he stood his ground. "You have absolutely no business in criminal affairs, master Blitzrein, but if I must help you to understand, there is no other person within the castle that had the motivation to attempt anything like this. After the outright halt in trade, there has been great political unrest within Weselton. Merchants and nobles alike knew exactly who to blame, and the last duke was all but forced out of power. And now _this _ man, forced not only to take up the reins against financial turmoil, but also forced to take great expense to fix the trading relations. Clearly, this man wanted revenge for the difficulty and humiliation suffered at our hands."

Mikael rubbed his temple. "So let me see if I'm with you here. After paying an almost exorbitant amount of wealth _as a gift_, the man before us hatched a scheme to exact revenge on a woman who could have easily declared war for the crimes against her, _with a fire_. Against the same woman who could freeze the whole castle with her little finger." Mikael pushed himself uncomfortably close. "Do you have any actual evidence to back up your claims? The last time I checked, we don't make our decisions based on conjecture. And we _certainly _don't arrest people based on invented motives alone."

"Tell you what. Why don't you leave these kinds of processes in the hands of-" Reynold cut himself short as something caught his eye. Mikael didn't want to lose sight of him, but he checked behind him anyway.

Queen Elsa stood a few short paces away. Her hair had become slightly dishevelled and her makeup was running, but given the circumstances no one dared call her out on it. "That is quite enough, councilor. You are to drop all charges and release this man. _Immediately_."

"Your majesty, I-," Reynold soon realised who he was speaking to. "Of course. Right away." He backed away sheepishly, the guards following behind.

Elsa took a deep breath. "My apologies, Duke. You may return inside with everyone else when you are ready."

Everlow shook his head. "I think I would rather stay on my ship, thank you." he started to walk off, until Mikael grabbed his arm.

"My lord, please do not leave Arendelle just yet."

Everlow pulled his arm away. "To be honest, I had considered it for a moment. If I had actually ended up in a cell I probably would have gone for sure. But this deal is too important to let a bit of blind vigilantism put me off. I will arrive tomorrow not a minute behind schedule. See to it that no further incidents occur."

"Of course, my lord." Mikael bowed as Everlow walked away. People were starting to shuffle back into the castle, in an orderly fashion of course. Mikael faced the queen. "Your Majesty. What exactly happened? Is the princess safe? Is there anything I can-"

Elsa held up her hand, cutting him off. A scowl started to form on her face, then flipped into a weak smile. "You have done more than enough for now. Please return home and rest. There is a great deal of work to be done. I need everyone here on time tomorrow to discuss the incident."

* * *

Mikael returned the smile. "Of course. I will get these trade agreements going if it's the last thing I do. If you will excuse me." He bowed and returned home as quickly as he could.

If was around half an hour to walk from the castle to where he lived, and even with the exhaustion and the numerous thoughts buzzing through his head, Mikael could make his way back with his eyes closed. Which was useful, as the turn of events had made it rather difficult for him to admire the scenery.

The bakery upon which he lived was rather modest, but more than serviceable for all the years than Mikael had lived there. Which was as long as he could remember. He remembered the story all too well. His mother Helena, had a way with bread. She could make the most simple and humble of foods taste truly alive and invigorating. She watched the bread rise from the heat every time as though it was the very first, and had burned and flattened hundreds of loaves working out the way the had worked best. She had a love for the craft that was matched by nothing else in her life. That was, until the day she met Joseph Fitzgerald Blitzrein. By all accounts, the relationship didn't have much to start on. She was talented at creating, and him at destroying. They barely even understood each other's words due to the differences in tongue. But underneath it all, they spoke the exact same language: passion. He could look to all the world like he loved the dough as much as her, and she hung on his every word, as he regaled stories of bravado and daring assaults. Finally, he agreed to put the money forward to bake together, and they never looked back. They were as happy as could be.

Mikael sighed, as he looked through the sparse display of breads through the front window. That already felt like an eternity ago. He shook his head. It would never do to spend all night reminiscing. Arendelle was counting on him now more than ever. _Eyes on the horizon_. _Principle number 1: Always fight like you mean it_.

As he pushed the front door open and went up the stairs, he heard something stirring. It couldn't be his mother, she would surely be sound asleep to open the store the coming morning. That could only mean- yes, the smell of ale was rank in the air.

"Hello, brother," Mikael said flatly as he walked into the bedroom. "Working on your collection of empty bottles again, I see." The bedroom was reasonably spacious, but otherwise a fairly modest affair, consisting of wooden floors and walls, a pair of simple beds with a dresser and an old desk at one end.

"Awww, shuddup," Tomas muttered, slouching on his bed wearing nothing more than some ragged trousers. By all appearances, Tomas was a big brother through and through. His hair was the same black hue as Mikael's, only it was currently far more long and messy. He had firm, brown eyes. with a bulky build that stood almost a whole head taller than his younger brother. That was when he stood at all. With the state of his leg, that had not been a while. "Ye- you dunno wha iss like."

Mikael spluttered, heading towards his own bed. "Fine, I'll reiterate this _again_. No, I _don't _know what war or battles is like. Yes, that _is _because I was kicked out for insubordination. No, I _can't _ join the military again just yet. Yes, I _do _have important things to take care of tomorrow, so I'm going to sleep."

Tomas just waved a hand. "Aw, wha- whatever."

"_Goodnight_, brother." Mikael blew out the nearby candle and crawled into bed.

* * *

A few hours of fitful sleep later, and Mikael left the bakery as ready as he was likely to feel for the day. There was no sign of James, which he found strange. He had even kept his usual morning loaf spare. _More for me, I guess_. With the current state of play, he would probably need all the strength he could get.

As it turned out, he was dead on. The emergency meeting regarding the previous night's fire needed all of the queen's authority to keep the discussion on topic. There were no prizes for guessing what the main point of contention was regarding the night before.

"This is surely a warning," Bishop Chelmey started. The man wore distinctive white robes and despite being on the far side of middle age, was a relatively recent addition to Arrendelle's council. "The gods are no longer tolerating the actions of the noble house of Arendelle."

Mikael rested his face on his hand, shaking his head. "Do I really have to say this again? Queen Elsa can make snow and ice with no known limits. If this is divine retribution like you claim, why in the world would it be a _fire_?"

Chelmey cleared his throat. "This is merely a warning. There will surely be far worse if we neglect to heed the clear meaning of all this."

"Fine, I'll put this another way. _This isn't even what we came here to discuss_. The purpose of this meeting was to discern whether there was any direct danger to Arendelle. As we've already said, this was little more than an accident. If you wish to offer any complaints or- _hypotheses _regarding the current situation, it would be best to do so later." Mikael took a deep breath. Knowing the council, even they wouldn't let that be that.

Elsa cleared her throat rather ostentatiously. "While I would not have expressed it as such, Blitzrein is correct. I assure you I will deal with any issues you have in due course. In the mean time, I have sent the princess to an as of now undisclosed location. _Do not _go looking for are dismissed."

The gathering of men slowly got up, quietly grumbling all the while. However, Mikael was still sitting there. "Oh, don't mind me. The duke is showing up here in around twenty minutes, and I was hoping to speak to him before the talks start."

As the last of the other councilors closed the door, Elsa did not get up. "Actually, there was another matter regarding the incident I do not wish for everyone to know about. You must swear not to speak of this to anyone."

Mikael held his left fist up to his chest. "On my honor, this will never leave this room." He gave a nod. "Though to be quite honest, I think I understand what the problem is. You just don't want anyone trying to harass the princess until people have had a chance to calm down about this whole marriage affair."

Elsa shook her head. "Technically, that is true. However, this matter goes deeper than that. Perhaps it would be best if I told you the whole story."

* * *

_A few hours earlier~_

Elsa fell to her knees, trying to keep her face firm as she folded her arms. How could this have happened so suddenly? This was the perfect night in almost every way.

_Elsa…._

She looked around at the forlorn remains of Anna's room. Underneath the layer of ice everything had either been blackened or reduced to ashes. If only she had been there at the time instead of stopping.

_Elsa…._

This was not just Anna's room. This had been _their _room, all those years ago before that one fateful night that had changed everything. Elsa had told, _sworn _to herself that she would never lose Anna again. For all the pain and heartbreak they had both suffered, could she not even do that?

"Elsa!" She turned around to the entry. She hadn't been imagining it after all. There was Anna along with Kristoff. He seemed to be wearing nothing besides his trousers while she only seemed to have a blanket to protect her modesty, but neither of them seemed any worse for wear otherwise.

"Anna!" Elsa sprung up and ran towards her, no longer able to hold back her tears. "You're okay. I- I'm so glad you're alright."

"I heard, you Elsa. I didn't mean to scare you like that. I'm so sorry." Anna was breathing heavily, and felt so warm Elsa had to let go.

Elsa looked around the room, and quickly recalled the layer of ice. The room was more or less ruined, and the whole thing would have to be replaced for sure. "Tell me Anna, who did this? When I find out who tried to-"

Anna held her hand gently against Elsa. "I- I don't know how to tell you this. It was… me."

Elsa sighed. "Anna, please don't be afraid. I'm just, _so _glad no one was trying to hurt you. And I'm not mad at you. If you had an accident, I understand, I promise."

Anna sighed. "No, Elsa, you don't understand! Okay, maybe I don't really understand either. You see, me and Kristoff, we were- well, we were enjoying each other's company when suddenly I was on fire. I mean, it looked like I was on fire but it sort of didn't _feel _like it, you know? And the next thing we knew, the bed caught fire and well, then the whole room as well."

Elsa closed her eyes, trying to avoid the elephant in the room. "So, you're saying the fire just came out of you? And it didn't even hurt you?" She turned to Kristoff. "Is this true?"

Kristoff closed his eyes, trying to visualise the series of events. "Well, it's difficult for me to say. It all happened so fast, you see. It was such a shock to both of us. However this may sound though, it's the only real possibility here. There's just no way we would have any other kind of fire lit with how hot it's been."

Elsa scowled. On the one hand, Kristoff was hardly one to jump to conclusions or make rash decisions. On the other hand, Anna made it sound like it was magic. There had to be some other explanation. She really did want to give her the benefit of the doubt. "Alright, alright. Unfortunately, there probably aren't any vacant rooms right now. Kristoff, do you think you can take Anna back to your family? Once everything has settled down."

"You mean- oh, I see. It's a bit late, but I'm sure Sven will be willing to take us. Do you want us to-?"

Elsa nodded. "Yes, of course. I'm not ready to believe anything for sure. But we must be prepared for anything, and for that we need to know the truth. And please, _stay safe_."

Anna perked up. "It's been a while since I went to see them. Are you ready, dear?"

Kristoff blushed a little. "Well, we should probably get some clothes first."

Anna scratched her head, then returned the blush "I knew that."

* * *

Mikael had listened intently. When he was sure the story had finished, he finally spoke up. "Well, I certainly understand why you didn't want to talk about that. There might be panic, not to mention more calls for your impeachment than there probably already are right now. But why tell me about all this?"

"Elsa sighed, looking down at the polished table. "This is a lot to take in, even for me. I need someone who can give an honest opinion about all of this without any ulterior motives."

"Well, I'm flattered you would come to me for this, but I'm not really sure what you want me to say here." Elsa looked him in the eye. "Your majesty, besides the fact that it definitely does exist, everything I know about magic I could write on my little finger with room to spare. And that first part was only because of you. I would say that your guess is as good as mine, but in this situation it's honestly a lot better." He took a deep breath. "I'm really sorry I can't be of more help. All I can really tell you is what my father once told me: hope for the best, prepare for the worst."

"That's what scares me so much about this, Mikael." Elsa sighed. "I cannot even be sure what the worst _is _at this point. If anyone tries to hurt Anna…"

Mikael placed his hand on Elsa's. "I don't know if this is for me to say, your majesty, but I don't think you're in any fit state to be worrying about these trade negotiations. If something is happening to the princess, it would be best for all of us if you got to the bottom of it fast."

"Are you sure you can handle things by yourself? I fear we may be starting at a disadvantage."

Mikael nodded. "Which is all the more reason for you to focus on what's really important. If we go into this with anything less than our all, we might only further offend the good duke. Or we might make crippling concessions without even realising it. Surely the delegates will understand the need to deal with a potential threat to your family."

Elsa slowly got up and nodded towards him. "Thank you, Mikael. I promise you, by tomorrow I will know the truth. Then, I will be able to assist you in earnest." She left the room as fast as she could.

Mikael silently contemplated what Elsa had just told him. She seemed awfully certain that she would be sure of what happened by the end of the day. But how could she possibly know if it really was magic or not? He quickly dispelled such thoughts. Every monarch had to have a _few _secrets, even from their inner circle. Why would Elsa be any different?

His contemplation was cut short when the door opened again, and not to the person he had been hoping for. "Oh, it's you," Bertrom said. "I'm surprised you have the nerve to show up at all today considering your not so small blunder."

Mikael snorted. "Yes, I can imagine you would find it hard to grasp someone looking beyond what benefits them directly." Bertrom was already started to go red in the face, which only made Mikael want to continue even more. "Besides, if I honestly cared about what people like you thought of me, I would have hanged myself long ago. I assure you have no intention of giving you the satisfaction."

"Of course someone as uncouth as youwould say something like that. No matter." He gave Mikael an unnervingly cheery smile. "At least you've given me what I always wanted since you showed up here. Finally everyone else sees you the way I do."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that if I were you." Just then, the rest of the attendants for the meeting arrived. Reynold was the next to appear, followed by Everlow, who now had no less than three others to accompany him this time. The first was a fairly short, stout gentleman carrying a stack of documents with him, and the other two were his personal guard, judging by the matching uniforms. One was in fact a woman, to the surprise of everyone who wasn't familiar, with brown hair that was neatly trimmed and a figure to match. The male guard was a few inches taller, with shiny blonde hair. Mikael decided he had more important things to worry about right now. For instance, who in the room was actually on his side.

"Good morning, gentlemen," Everlow said, taking a place opposite them men from Arendelle. If he was still angry about the events of the night before, he hid it well. "Allow me to introduce Callum, who will be assisting me with proceedings. Along with my personal guard, who I am _hoping _won't be required to assist me today." Both of them made an effort to look menacing. It was highly unlikely they still had their weapons with them, but no one was in any hurry to test their luck. "Now, where is Queen Elsa, so we may begin?"

Mikael swallowed. He had been so preoccupied by what was going on with the queen he hadn't thought at all about what he was supposed to tell the others. After the terse way the meeting earlier had concluded and his promise, there was no way that he could let on to the other councilors that there was more going on than they had established. At the same time, he couldn't make it look like the queen had simply decided she didn't want to participate in the meetings. Time for some quick thinking. "Unfortunately, we were recently informed that the princess was hurt in last night's incident. Queen Elsa humbly apologises, but she has decided that her sister's wellbeing cannot wait. We do not currently know where the princess is located, as the queen withheld that information in the interest of safety."

Everlow blinked. "I- see. Did she give any indication as to when she might return?"

Mikael nodded. "She assured me that she would be able to participate in tomorrow's talks by the latest. That is all she would say." Both Bertrom and Reynold gave Mikael a look. Mikael ignored them.

"Hmph. I suppose there's not much to be done but begin. He gestured over the the pile of documents Callum had brought. "I have taken the liberty of making copies of the former trading agreements before the queen ordered the embargo. I also have the most recent guide to commodity values here. I believe that is a good a place to begin as any."

Bertrom cleared his throat rather loudly. "If I might stop you there. While you may believe that we can simply pick up where we left off, there are still the crimes against the crown you have to answer for. I believe we should be compensated for the fallout from the incident, not to mention the crimes themself." Mikael let out a tiny groan. This was going to be a _long _session.

Everlow didn't lose his composure. "That's quite a bold assertion, if I may say so. However, I find your claims to lack relevance to the case at hand. I have already made great expense to show not only to show that Weselton bears no ill will against Arendelle, but also to help recover the lost earnings and by extension, tax revenue of your kingdom. If Arendelle is not placated by this, perhaps you're not the fair, honest traders I remember. At the very least, the queen should be the one to raise this issues."

Bertrom snorted. "I assure you, we are entrusted to speak in the queen's stead, especially given her… absence." he shot a quick glare at Mikael.

"Be that as it may, it was her whose life was threatened, not yours. Entrusted or not, I believe she has the true right to chose whether or not to further pursue the crimes in question." He pushed the pile of documents. "Why don't you feel free to take a look at these. I think you'll find them to be perfectly fair."

Mikael obliged, and took a look at the first document. It was an agreement on the trading of several grain types, including wheat. The numbers were solid. In fact, they almost made his original restricted trading plans almost look like child's play. Almost. This man was good, there was no question.

* * *

After a fairly long day, they had managed to make their way through around a third of the different product agreements. There was still a long way to go before they were done, but Mikael had somehow managed to hold out. It was fortunate for him that the duke was as good as keeping the other councilors in check as the queen ever was. Of course, there would also likely be some

He had also noticed that the royal chambers had been put off-limits for the time being, which was a relief. If either of Arendelle's councilor's ran into the queen, Mikael's hasty story would have fallen apart like wet paper. He scrawled down a message for her to try not to run into them, just in case, and started to head straight home. He made as far as the end of the bridge leading out when he was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Mik. Mik!" James was running towards him, giving a wide wave. "I finally found you."

"And where else did you think you find me at this time?" Mikael growled. "Sorry, it's been a trying day. Where were you, anyway? I didn't see you this morning."

James was almost hopping. "You won't believe the news. I met this old man last night, and he asked me if I wanted to work for him. Can you believe it? I mean it's just doing a few odd bits of work here and there. But it's something. It's finally something."

"Yeah," Mikael said, rubbing his temple. "Yeah, that's great."

James tapped his foot. "Oh come on, Mik. You'd never shut up about this before, and now when I finally get something all it merits is a _that's great_?"

"I'm sorry, James. Congrats, really." He sighed. "I'm just frustrated after today. The negotiations started today and the other councilors won't stop making demands that are beyond absurd."

"Well, isn't that just them being them?" James asked.

"No, I think this goes deeper than that. They're trying to undermine me by sabotaging this deal. Perhaps I shouldn't have been so upfront with how I felt about them after all."

James blinked. "Really? Don't they need this new deal? Isn't it supposed to be good for everyone?"

"You don't know them the way I do. You see, they seem to take to the "better to rule in hell than serve in heaven" school of thinking." Mikael shook his head. "_Idiots_. I just hope me and the duke can keep them in check until everything is in place. I'm not sure we can right now."

"Wait, isn't it supposed to be the queen's job to keep all the idiots on the council in check?"

Mikael scrunched his face. "Oh, that's right, you probably don't know this. There was a fire in the castle last night. Apparently, Princess Anna was dangerously near, and that's set the queen on edge. We agreed it be best if she didn't worry herself with the talks, at least for the day. I know it's for the best, but believe me, I'm really starting to regret that decision."

Just then, Mikael heard someone else calling out to him, this time from was Callum, the duke's aide from the trade talks, running as fast as his portly body could carry him "Master Blitzrein, good, I thought I had lost you."

"That's _mister _Blitzrein, if you don't terribly mind. Deep down, he cursed himself. Maybe the other councilors were starting to rub off on him.

Callum only bowed. "my humblest apologies. Only, the duke has invited you to take dinner with him on his ship this evening. You should arrive at the entrance to the harbour at seven o'clock, sharp. Someone will be waiting for you there."

Mikael stared at him. "You seem awfully sure that I'm going to accept this. Okay, so I _do _accept this, but I still might have had other plans."

"Merely an assumption from the good duke. I had no intention of offending you. We hope to see you there." Callum bowed again and slowly walked off.

James nudged Mikael. "Well look at that, you're making friends with nobles all over."

"Not entirely my intention, mind you," Mikael admitted. "But I might as well humour him." He check his pocket watch. "Seems we have a while, yet. Why don't you tell me about this man you're working for?"

* * *

Anna and Kristoff tore through the mountains on the back of Sven. It wasn't that there was any particular hurry, they were making perfectly good time back to the Kristoff's home. It was just that for now, neither of them particularly wanted to speak. Kristoff was the first one to spot the obvious flaw in their current plan: if they continued at their current pace they would arrive several hours before sundown and they would be stuck there… waiting. He found a siding on the path they were taking and slowed Sven to a halt.

"Is everything alright, dear?" Anna asked, staying put behind him. _Dear_. That would take some getting used to.

"We've been going for a while. Sven here could use a break," Kristoff explained. "_My poor legs have been run ragged!_" He was thankful that Anna couldn't see Sven shaking his head and giving him a disapproving look. He gave a small shrug and turned to Anna. "How are you holding up?"

Anna dismounted and took in the view. There were tall, lush trees as far as the eye could see, dotting the slopes all over the place. Fortunately, the tall mountain provided shade from the sun, meaning they could take their time. Sadly, no matter how nice the view was, it could only make the troubles of the world disappear for so long. "I- I'm not sure, Kristoff. Did I really catch on fire? I was so sure at the time, but after you and Elsa kept prying."

Kristoff looked her in the eye. "If we're going to start a new life together, I want it to be built on trust. At first, I thought you might have just imagined what had happened, but there really aren't many other possibilities, not when it was too hot to even consider lighting any fires. I'm not skeptical because I don't trust you. I think it's more because I'm afraid of what it'll mean."

Anna gave a concerned look. "I know, Kristoff. Whenever I think about it, all I can remember is me and Elsa being separated all those years. I don't want to cause her that trouble. Or you."

Kristoff smiled back. "Princess Anna, you are more of a magnet for trouble than anyone else I've ever known. And I wouldn't have you any other way. Before I met you, I had probably never even used a fork before. If I can figure out what _nine _of them are for, I can help you through whatever comes our way."

Anna gave a small laugh. "Yeah, I never could figure out what the point of all of them was, either."

"Now that's the Anna I know." Kristoff walked back to Sven, quickly giving him a carrot. "Come on, we've still got a ways to go, yet. Once Pabbie has a look at you, we can learn the truth. And hopefully we can put all of this behind us."

"Yeah. Hopefully." Anna looked back for a second, before following along.

Kristoff got on first and extended a hand to Anna. "Oh, and try to keep the engagement thing on the down-low for now. I love my family, but you know what they're like."

"Oh, yeah." Anna pictured their first meeting. "_He's a bit of a fixer-upper_," she sang softly, before humming the rest.

Kristoff blushed. "Please, don't remind me."

* * *

Even as Mikael ascended the wooden rungs up the side of the duke's ship, he could tell that it was almost brand new, and little if any expense had been spared on it. While the latter could easily be discerned from the colorful glass adorning the back of the ship, presumably where the captain and owner of the ship resided, he became aware of the former when she smelled the fresh paint from up close. When he had gotten to the harbour, the man guarding the duke earlier escorted him to a small boat and rowed both of them to the rungs leading up the ship. As he made it to the top, his assumptions were all but confirmed. Most of the ropes, riggings and other equipment was polished to a shine and appeared to have no wear and tear. Mikael's observations were cut short as he was confronted by the other guard from earlier.

"I must check you," she said, apparently having little regard for personal space.

"Uhm, okay?" Mikael was too startled to try anything.

Just then, a nearby door to the ship's interior opened. "Ah, there you are." Everlow emerged, with a fresh suit almost as resplendent as the one he had worn to the celebrations. "It's quite alright, Sara. You can trust him."

Sara turned her attention to him, and almost glared at him. "Yes, sir."

Everlow smiled. "Thank you. Now, if you'd like to follow me." The two men went inside the ship, leaving behind the two guards and the rather awkward encounter behind them. "Let me apologise for them. They've been on edge since they heard of last night."

Mikael thought back to the meeting. So he wasn't imagining them trying to stare holes into councilor Reynold. "You can't be too cautious. They had no right to treat you like that."

"Yes, that we can agree on." Everlow shook his head. "And yet, the queen doesn't even show up to the first day of negotiations. I understand my father left no shortage of hard feelings, but I was hoping for a clean slate, if nothing else." Mikael started to get goosebumps, which the duke seemed to pick up on. "We can discuss this later. Tell me, what do you think of my ship, the _Katarina_?"

Mikael glanced around. The fresh paint still hung in the air, and the walls of the ship were adorned mainly with fancy looking candlestick holders or attractive paintings. "I see you're a man of wealth, if nothing else. If I didn't know better, I would swear that the ship is fresh off of its maiden voyage."

Everlow nodded. "Well observed. I decided that the new Duke of Weselton deserves a new ship, especially if I expect to be travelling around making deals. The celebration in Arendelle seemed like an ideal place to test out how sea-worthy she is. Were she a lesser vessel, we would most likely arrived a day later at the very least."

"So your ship is more than just bells and whistles." Mikael noted. "Did you pay for it yourself?"

Everlow stopped. "Of course I did. Even in Weselton, people don't exactly appreciate it when the nobles start skimming the coffers on personal luxuries when our trading scene is in chaos. If anything, the construction put more money into our economy than out." The two of them came to a white door with an intricate pattern of carving on the wood. The duke opened the door. "After you."

Mikael went through without complaint. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. You certainly know your way around business deals." he turned around, and needed a second to take it all it. This was the duke's part of the ship for sure, and it definitely showed. The rest of the ship was quite exorbitant in its own right, but this blew everything else out of the water. There was a small table, a four-poster bed, a furnished desk, all having their own unique styles suggesting they were imported from the corners of the known world. There was even a hanging lantern keeping the place well lit. "I should really be more amazed, but all I can think is how does all of this stay put during rough seas?"

Everlow couldn't help but laugh. "Well, we haven't come to that yet. But I'm sure my crew is more than willing to pick up a few spills." He motioned to a cushioned chair on one side of the dining table, and the two took their seats. "The food should be ready shortly. Now tell me, how is it a young man with no status to speak of comes to be at the queen's right hand?"

Mikael's face furrowed a little. "I don't recall informing you of my standing," omitting the _or lack, thereof_. It was certainly possible one of the councilors had mentioned it to him.

"Ah, yes," Everlow said, nodding. "You see, I believe my aide Callum referred to you as master Blitzrein earlier. That was no accident."

It all clicked together. It was such a simple trick, using his pride against him. _Gods, give this man a week and he would have the whole council eating out of his hand. If they didn't hate him, that was. _"To answer your question, I won the position in a game of chess."

Everlow stared at him. "You what?"

"Okay, it's a bit more complicated than that. I came forward to the council with my plans for the restricted trading measures. There were as stubborn as ever, things started to get heated. And then Queen Elsa got involved, bless her soul. She gave me a chance. One chance. If I risked everything and I could win, we'd go through with my plan. If I lost I'd destroy it and never bring it up again. And I won. Barely. But it wasn't enough for her to keep her word. She went one better and invited me to help implement the plan properly. I think the fact we're here talking right now says everything you need to know about how it went."

The duke smiled. "Indeed. Truthfully, I had hoped to bring the queen here on my ship, were she not indisposed right now. But you intrigue me, especially after your little story. Still, it would be nice to know why exactly the queen did not attend the meeting at all. It seems slightly excessive for what seemed to be a relatively minor incident."

Mikael looked away. I'm not at liberty to say. I'm sorry."

"I see." Everlow locked his fingers. "Only I had hoped to talk to her about the events concerning my father last year. I don't expect her to forgive him for what he did, but maybe she can at least understand why he acted the way he did."

"Perhaps I can pass on a message," Mikael offered. "It's the least I can do. Really."

Everlow paused. "I suppose that is the best I can ask for." he cleared his throat. "You see, this all begins from the very concept of magic. Or sorcery, as so many of my people have come to call it. Tell me, have you ever heard of the blood sisters?"

"The _blood sisters_? That's just a bedtime story! Don't tell me you seriously believe-"

The duke waved his hand. "I know how it must sound to you, but you must believe me."

Mikael shook his head. "No, no, I understand. Why, just the other week our military officer was complaining that Arendelle might not be sufficiently prepared for bogeyman attacks."

At first, the duke scowled, but then he couldn't help but smile despite himself. "Okay, okay. Please, let me finish. Believe me, I understand why you would find this hard to believe. But it's different at my home. There, we were practically raised on stories of the blood sisters and their terror. Everyone has heard of the things they were supposedly capable. They say that they can tear a man to shreds in seconds. That they can hunt anyone down and find them no matter where or how far they run. That no weapon on this earth can ever hurt them. And worst of all, that they pursue the men that they believed have wronged them with almost sadistic fervour, until the very memory of them is no more."

"And what about you? Do you believe any of that?" Mikael coughed.

"To tell you the truth, for most of my life, I didn't. Everyone's stories were different, as though the blood sisters were what scared _them _the most. And no one knows anyone who knew anyone who could honestly claim to have seen them. It all didn't add up. For most of my life, there was no reason to believe in magic at all."

Mikael closed his eyes. "And then Queen Elsa comes into the picture."

"Exactly! Well, I was surprised, to say the least. But my father on the other hand… well, I imagine all of his inner fears coming from a legendary terror came rushing back the moment the queen's true abilities were outed. To him, the queen was all the worst things he had heard rolled into one."

Mikael nodded. "And then, he named himself judge, jury and executioner."

The duke quickly shook his head. "I'm not trying to justify anything he did or defend him. In truth, he's a bit of a pathetic man. He seemed to announce his vices with every other breath, and he had a far higher opinion of himself than he ever had any right to. It's just that-"

"He's still your father?" Mikael offered.

"Precisely." Everlow nodded gently. "I still owe a great deal to him."

"I understand. And I'll make sure that the queen hears the whole story. I very much doubt that it will change the way she sees the former duke, but she might come to see some things in a new light."

"Thank you. That's about all I can ask for." The conversation descended into an awkward silence, as the food still hadn't arrived. The duke pulled out a glass bottle. "Say, why don't we have a little toast while we're waiting?" He poured out a glass for each of them.

"Okay, what shall we toast?" Mikael lifted the glass.

"Here's to rebuilding our diplomatic relations!"

"And to hoping the idiots in charge stay out of the way long enough for it to go through." The clinked the glasses together and took a swing of their glasses. Mikael let the drink roll around in his tongue for a few seconds before letting it down. It seemed like ale, only with a more zesty flavour. Suddenly, he felt rather strange. What was this feeling he was having? "Woah. That, that- Now that put a fire in my belly!"

Everlow laughed. "Are you serious right now? That was my special Dragon Breath Ale. You're the first person besides myself that even managed to get it down. For most other people, it only starts a fire in their mouth."

Mikael glared at him. "And you just made me have a whole mouthful. That was for the bogeyman comment, wasn't it."

"Of course not!" Everlow insisted, waving his hands. "I make everyone I have dinner with try some. I must say, you hold your ale a lot better than you dance." he held up his glass. "Now _that_, my friend, was for the bogeyman comment."

Mikael sighed. "Snarking is such an underappreciated art."

"It seems I'm only now seeing the light," the duke agreed. "Oh, since you're the first one to actually enjoy my special drink, Why don't I let you have one of my bottles. How does that sound?"

"That sounds amazing. Thank you." Mikael couldn't help but smile. They had known each other less than two days, and it already felt like they were old friends. Hopefully, they could work together and push aside the interference with the negotiations. Ideally they could veto the involvement of Viscount Bertrom outright, but they were all making some sacrifices.


	7. Chapter 7: The Calm

**A/N: Hello again, my faithful readers (all two of you). This is it, we're finally getting into the serious business with the plot. Hopefully it will have been worth the wait. **

**Again, please review if you like. I can write without it, but I'll get way less sidetracked if I know people are waiting on more chapters. Tell me what you do and don't like of course so I can continue to improve my writing. I'm still looking for a dedicated beta reader, if anyone is interested enough.**

* * *

**Chapter 7: The Calm**

With another hour of crossing through the mountains behind them, Anna and Kristoff finally came to the all too familiar signs of his home. They both felt a tingling as they passed through the barrier that protected the area. Kristoff had remember being told about how the barrier had worked. Anyone with less than noble intentions or who wasn't specifically looking for the troll's home would be hit with a powerful illusion. They would see the land as more or less the same as the area around it, covered with trees and grass and little of actual note. When the individual went back out through the barrier, they would forget what they had seen and would receive the slightest of inklings that they should never try going back. The spell was of course not without its limitations. To be "looking" for the trolls was rather widely open to interpretation, and the barrier lost its potency if too many beings crossed in a short amount of time. It had, for the most part served its purpose of keeping all but the privileged few blissfully unaware that the trolls were more than myths.

As they approached the largest clearing once more, Sven slowed to a canter, then a trot, finally ending with a full stop.

"So, green or yellow?" Anna asked.

Kristoff jumped a little from how spontaneous the question was. "I don't understand. For what?"

"The streamers." Kristoff stared at her. "For the wedding, silly!"

Kristoff sighed as he dismounted. "Isn't it a little early to be thinking about things like that?"

Anna closed her eyes and crossed her arms. "It's a wedding, Kristoff. A _royal _wedding. There's no such thing as too early."

"We can cross that bridge when we get to it." he offered her a hand. "Once we're sure that everything's okay, we can discuss some good colours."

Anna took his hand, but looked unsure. "I thought you said it was nothing."

"It's _probably _nothing. That's why we're here. I don't like having to rely on my family, but, you know, but they're the ones to go to for something like this." Anna remained silent, so Kristoff moved in and embraced her. "Green. Green is a much better colour." Just then, they heard the familiar sound of rumbling. The trolls were waking up. "Don't forget what I said to you."

Anna looked at him. "Uh, which thing?"

"_Ix-nay on the edding-way!" _He muttered.

Anna started to nod, but then tilted her head. "Wait, what?"

Kristoff rolled his eyes. He knew Anna was sheltered, but this was a bit much. "No time!" He would just have to hope she remembered on her own. The trolls rolled up to the couple and uncurled themselves, revealed their stubby limbs and faces.

"Kristoff's home!" A voice shouted out, spreading mirth and cheer among the crowd. Even though it had only been a few days since he last visited. The trolls were like, stony, talking dogs in a way. As per the usual, they all had no shortage of stories and experiences to talk about. And of course, there were the younger ones who just had to jump on to him, as if their attention wasn't enough to take on already.

Bulda pushed her way through the crowd to her adoptive son. "You're back so soon, darling! And you brought your little girlfriend with you. So tell me, how did your little lover's quarrel work out?"

Kristoff sighed, but gave a wide smile. "It wasn't quarrel. More of a misunderstanding I would say."

"See, even when you think you're fighting, all you can think about is each other. It's like it was meant to be." Bulda walked up to Anna. "So tell me, dear, how did my little man make it all up to you."

"Well, actually. It was so sweet." She had to stop herself from choking up. "He went all around the mountains and got me these flowers. The lily of the valley. He knew they were my favourites because my mo-"

"Woah, woah, woah. Hold it right there." Bulda took a look at Anna's hand. "Is that a _ring _I see?"

Kristoff froze. Of all the things in the world he could forget, it had to be that. He had hoped to wait until the right time to break the good news. And as far away from Anna as possible. Now, the jig was up in one fell swoop. "Okay, okay. Let's try and keep this all in perspective here." He let out the slightest of groans. Look who he was asking.

Bulda yanked Anna's hand in to get a closer look. "Why, just look at this. This is gold. Almost pure, even. And _real _diamonds! This had to be something special from someone special, am I right?"

Anna took her hand back, her face almost as red as a cherry. "Yes, it was special. Really, really, special." Her voice was almost a whisper.

"And? What did you say?" Bulda leaned in closer, as if it really needed to be said.

"I, I." Anna stammered, her voice almost gone. She could see Kristoff giving the slightest hint of a glare from the corner of her eye, but there was little point in stopping now. They would get the truth, one way or another. "I said yes."

A chorus of cheers and applause erupted throughout the crowd, and they encircled the couple to give their regards.

"He finally did it!" A voice called out.

"This is the best day ever!" They heard another one say from behind them.

"Our boy has become a man!" That last one might have been going a bit far.

Kristoff had to struggle to get some personal space. "Look, I know you're all excited. But we came here on serious business. We need to-"

"Of course you did," one of the male trolls offered. "That's why I took the liberty of preparing this for you." He pulled out a stone slab and pushed it into Kristoff's hands. "It's a guest list." Kristoff humoured him and took a look. It was a comprehensive list. Of all the trolls. It was actually quite impressive that they all fit onto the slab.

"Okay, why don't you hold on to this for now," Kristof said quickly, handing it back. "Please, just let us speak with Pabbie. It's urgent."

One of the trolls gave him a sly smile. "More urgent than choosing a ring bearer?"

"YES!" Kristoff yelled at the top of his lungs, silencing just about everyone else there. "That means no food selections, no flower girls, no seating plans, no cake decorations and _definitely no songs _until we resolve our problem!" The trolls just stood there, wide-eyed. A couple of the younger ones ran off, on the verge of tears. "Look, Anna might be in danger again. I just, I just want her to be safe, okay?"

Bulda stepped away from Anna, who had snapped out of her tearful reverie, and towards her adoptive son. "It's alright, dear. If you're serious-"

"Of course I am," Kristoff said. And with that, there was a silent understanding. As excited as they were for Kristoff's love life, now was not the time.

Bulda turned around to the others. "Okay, people. Show's over! Let the man do what he needs to do. In the meantime, If you'd like to offer some ideas for the wedding, you're more than welcome to discuss it with me." The trolls stalled for a moment, then shuffled off, talking amongst themselves.

Kristoff knew that it was far from over. At some point, he would have to break it to them that as a royal wedding, the official ceremony would have to take place in the city, but that was academic compared to the safety of her bride to be. He approached Anna, who was still wiping away tears. "How are you holding up?"

Anna rubbed her eyes one last time and regained her composure. "Sorry, I was just... remembering. Did you really have to go that far? I don't think I've ever seen you shout like that."

"They had to know this cannot wait." His frown eased up, and laughed softly. "Besides, you weren't there for the time they broke the shelter I had built for Sven. I said a few choice things I didn't exactly mean."

"Oh, what happened?" Anna asked.

Kristoff rolled his eyes. Could they not go five minutes without getting sidetracked? "Well, basically a couple of the younger ones thought it would be a good idea to try climbing on it. Suffice to say, it was not. Turns out I was coming back that same night. When I found out they had smashed the thing I had spent days on. Well, I think you get the idea. My mother gave me quite the lecture. Though when they realised how much work I had put in, they couldn't stay mad at me. Eventually, they all made a new one, complete with their own personal touch. I couldn't exactly stay mad at them either."

Anna locked her hands together and smiled. "Aww, that's so cute."

Kristoff formed an idea of a response to that, but it was quickly cut short. The deep rolling sound behind him confirmed what he had been waiting for.

"Kristoff, my boy. The others claim that you needed my help urgently." Pabbie's movements were a bit sluggish, even for a being of his age, but his appearance was a relief all the same.

"That's right. At least, we think so anyway." Kristoff cupped his hand around his chin. "It's a bit of a long story."

"Uhm," Anna cut in. "Well basically, Kristoff and I were- well we were- we were together, and then suddenly this huge fire started. And I think, I think I might have been the one that caused it."

"We think this might have something to do with magic," Kristoff quickly added. "We know it seems unlikely, but at this point no other explanation makes any more sense. The queen is checking for any signs of sabotage or other signs of hostility, but we came here just to be safe."

Pabbie nodded. "I see. Do you have any reason to believe that she may have been cursed at any time?"

"Well, let's see here," Kristoff said, tapping his foot. "Well, she was sick for most of our trip together, but the doctors said that was definitely seasickness. She was fit as a fiddle as soon as she made it back to dry land. One of the people we met on our trip might have done it, but that's even more unlikely. From what I understand, any kind of magic is a huge taboo there. Even if they did have some kind of grudge against us, they're almost certainly far too afraid of attacking us like that."

"Very well." Pabbie fired up the magic in his hands. "Come closer, Anna. I will search your body for any signs of foreign magic. It will take a moment for me to be ready."

Anna stepped in front of him. "Thank you for this. I'm sorry. I've caused you a lot of trouble, haven't I?"

Pabbie was focused on the spell he was preparing. "It is no trouble, my child. I have spent many times your lifetime honing my skill with magic and learning the importance of respecting its potential. And still, I lead you and your sister down the wrong path. My only hope is that I can atone for my mistakes with the time I have left." The white magic he was wielding was now starting to envelop his hands. "Remain calm, this will only take a moment."

With a few motions and the power of precise thought, Pabbie willed the magic he had summoned to work. It formed into about hundred small wisps of light, which surrounded Anna, flying around her and occasionally even passing through. Anna shuddered a little, but through great effort managed to stay still. After a few seconds of this, A second, ghostly image of Anna appeared which shrunk down and moved in closer to Pabbie.

"Now we shall see," Pabbie explained, examining the image. "If there is any magic that has affected you recently, I should be able to detect it."

"Is it supposed to be so bright?" Anna asked, trying to get a better look. "And what's with all that light in my stomach?"

"Shhh!" Kristoff cut in.

Pabbie continued to examine, his eyes faltered once or twice. Finally, he closed his eyes and the image of Anna vanished. "I wish there was an easy way for me to say this."

Kristoff took a deep breath. "It's okay, you can tell. Even if it's bad news, we can deal with it together, right?"

"Very well," Pabbie concluded, looking away briefly. "Anna, do you remember when your sister's ice struck your heart?"

Anna bit her lip. "I would really rather not."

Pabbie sighed. "Anna, I am afraid that the ice that struck your heart. It is still there." Anna and Kristoff stood there wide-eyed for a few seconds.

"No. No no no no no," Anna stammered. "That can't be. It just- it just _can't_. The act you true love. You _said _the act of true love would thaw my heart."

"I told you that only an act of true love could thaw your heart. Magic is a powerful and volatile thing, Anna. The sad truth is that it often does not work the way it is supposed to."

Anna stamped her foot. "It was _true love_. I don't care what you say. Are you saying that I don't love my sister? Or that she doesn't love me?"

Kristoff had to stop Anna from lunging at Pabbie. "Anna, _please_, calm down."

"Don't tell me to calm down. I don't care what he says, it's _wrong_!" She continued to try and wrestle her way out of his arms.

"Please listen to me, Anna," Pabbie asked. "The bond between you and Elsa is a truly amazing thing. The fact that you are still standing here now proves that. Never doubt that for a moment. I fear that this happened because of the way you proved your love for her. When it looked like you were gone, your sister's heart was clouded by grief and anguish." he stepped closer to Anna, who had stopped flailing around. "If you wish to blame anyone, blame me. Even if I did not realise it, I taught your sister to fear her power instead of helping her to master it. If only I had understood how your father would see what I had told him."

Anna's head feel as she gained a sullen look. "So what now? Am I supposed to tell Elsa that I'm still suffering because of her? I won't go back to being locked away again. _I won't_!" Anna started to tear up.

Kristoff wrapped his arms around her. "Listen to me, Anna. No one is being locked away again. I'll do everything in my power to see to that." He turned to Pabbie. "Tell me, what does this have to do with what happened? We came here because we believed Anna had started a fire."

"I believe that the events that transpired a year ago has everything to do with is happening now. Anna, the act of true love you performed appears to have awoken magic inside your heart." Pabbie brought up the image of Anna again. "The magic is fighting against the shard of ice inside your heart, stopping it from freezing again. After being left unchecked for so long, the ice is starting to grow stronger and stronger, and the magic inside you now is being forced to push back harder with each passing day."

Kristoff looked thoughtful for a moment. "So you're saying Anna has _magic _now? And it's generating heat to counteract the ice? So it wasn't a coincidence that Arendelle happened to have a heatwave when we returned."

"That is also highly likely. The magic is likely highly unstable." Pabbie shook. "Oh, why had I not noticed such a thing sooner?"

Anna crossed her arms. "But, but, the act of true love."

"Anna, you _must _understand. Your circumstances are truly exceptional. There are very few people who have ever managed to survive a frozen heart. And no one has ever done it before the way you have. Do not mistake what I am saying, what you did was extremely noble and you should be proud. If you wish to blame anyone, it should be us. We have failed you twice now." Pabbie turned away, clenching his fist.

"Wait, Pabbie," Kristoff said. "What do you do now? There has to be a way for us to fix this. There just has to be." He knew all too well that he was most likely clutching at straws. For all of his wisdom and years of using magic, Pabbie could not thaw the ice that had pierced a person's heart. And that had almost certainly not changed over the past year.

"There is but one way that this can be resolved. Anna, your sister must be the one to remove the ice that remains inside of you." Pabbie illustrated this by manipulating the image of Anna, resulting in the interference in the chest slowly vanishing.

"I don't understand," Anna said, scratching her head. "Why would this work now if it wouldn't before?"

"When you came to us the previous year, there was precious little time left until you froze completely, and your sister had all but repressed her power. Now that Elsa has had a chance to learn control, and there is a larger window of time, it is possible that she can learn what she needs to in order to save you. I must warn you now: if Elsa tries to save you and fails, there is a chance- that you could die."

Anna clenched her fist. "Elsa _won't _fail. I believe in her."

Pabbie smiled. "Your faith in your sister is admirable. My only hope now is that it pays off. For now, I will try to keep your burgeoning power from breaking loose. In its current form, it is almost impossible for you to control. But I can redirect so that it only keeps your heart warm. As soon as I am finished, you _must _return to your sister and explain all of this, no matter how difficult it may be."

Kristoff nodded. "We understand. We'll do whatever we can to help you."

"Thank you. Now, I must get to work before Anna's magic endangers anyone again. This may take a while." He charged his power up again.

"What do I need to do?" Anna asked.

Pabbie breathed deeply. "Just hold perfectly still. Kristoff, you must stay back while I work."

"Alright. I'll just- I'll just be over there if you need me." Kristoff walked away as Pabbie began to apply his magic, staring up at the starry sky. Why were things never simple with Anna? He had of course come to love her quirky, unpredictable habits in his own way, but he really would have preferred to have avoided hiccups like this. He had enough on his plate as it was.

"Hey there, love master and deliver. You have a minute?" It was Ignus, Kristoff's old mentor. "So, how did my little idea go?"

Kristoff sat down. "Well, it went greater than I could have hoped. At the time, at least. Now? All it feels like I've done is jump out of the frying pan."

Ignus gave him a playful punch. "Now is not the time to be losing heart, my boy. You're going to be _married_, for heaven's sake."

"I know, I know!" Kristoff started, before sighing. "This is out of my hands now. And I'm not just talking about this whole fire thing."

"What do you mean?"

Kristoff glared at him. "Isn't it obvious? Anna's a _princess_. I'm- I'm just Kristoff. The noble houses aren't just going to let this slide. Queen Elsa will do everything she can for us, I know she will, but even she's just one woman. And she listens to the voice of her people. If enough people speak out, even she won't be able to ignore them."

"Now now, Kristoff. Your fiance believes in the queen with all of her heart. What can't you?"

Kristoff looked over to Anna. "Because _one _of us has to keep this relationship grounded in reality." He grumbled. "I just can't help but notice the pattern here. Once again Anna's life is in danger and it falls straight out of my hands. I know that Anna ended up doing the right thing, but I can't help but think that if I had managed to save her, then maybe I could have been ennobled and we wouldn't have this problem."

Ignus shook his head. "And then there would be no Queen Elsa to do that. And Anna wouldn't be the woman you love. Look, my point is you can't worry about what ifs, should haves and if onlys. The princess is probably more afraid than ever now that you might back out. First with this whole social status thing, and now with this out of control magic."

Don't say that!" Kristoff snapped. "I would _never _ back out on a promise. Not then, not now. Even if I don't have the privilege to be her groom, I certainly believe I have the right to try."

"That's very good, Kristoff." Ignus nodded. "But _she's _the one who has to know that, not me. I know that the bond between Anna and her sister is irreplaceable. But now, so is her bond with _you_. Even if you're not the one who ultimately saves her, she has to know that you'll stand by her, no matter what."

Kristoff cracked a wide, warm smile. "For better, or worse."

"Go get 'em, tiger."

* * *

"Do you have _any _idea how this looks right now?" Mikael asked, clutching a piece of paper.

Elsa's firm expression did not move. "I am well aware, thank you. However, classified matters that demand my immediate attention have arisen, and I have complete trust in your ability to keep Arendelle's affairs in order."

Mikael frowned. "If you can't tell me what the problem is, that's fine. I'm not the one you should be worrying about, anyway. The other councilors will almost certainly see this as an attempt to evade the backlash regarding the princess's marriage, and that's not even getting into the matter of Duke Everlow. With the high councilor already taking leave right now, I don't see how I can handle all of this alone."

Elsa locked her fingers and stared at the wall. "Rest assured, I will make sure to discuss this with all the others. They may not like what I am doing, but I am acting well within my authority as queen. I also understand you've managed to build a certain rapport with the young duke. I have faith that you can make my absence more than tolerable enough."

"Authority or not, there's no doubt in my mind that the councilors will try to use this against you in the future. I just hope what you're doing is enough to justify that."

Elsa looked out of the window of her study into the mountains. "There can be no doubt."

Mikael moved in closer and lowered his voice. "I'm just going to go out on a limb here, but I suspect this has something to do with the night the fire happened, and now you know why."

Elsa looked left and right, as though the walls had ears. In her line of work, you could never be too sure. "Anna's assertions that magic was involved were correct. And there's no way for us to control it at present. Now do you understand all of the secrecy? to let this be known to the public would surely incite a full blown panic."

"I appreciate your honesty. And I understand completely. I still have concerns that the trade negotiations might not go to as planned. But you have bigger things to worry about, I can see. I only hope convincing the others will be as easy." Mikael got up and walked out of Elsa's study. His worries were far bigger that he let on, but he figured the queen was much the same way, if not more so. He remembered what she had told him on the night of the ball .Now was the time to prove that he was dependable as she had built him up to be.

* * *

The meeting room was set once again for the trade talks to continue. Mikael was hopeful that things could go just a little bit more smoothly. The duke's trading expertise had come in immensely helpful in countering viscount Bertrom's poor attempts to shake him down, and any more of that today would almost certainly accomplish little more than making him appear petty. _More that he already does_, Mikael thought to himself, taking the luxury of a small smile. For all of his less than savoury traits, Bertrom was certainly not stupid. And his experience vastly outmatched Mikael's. How else would the queen look past just about everything else about him? He had a plan up his sleeve for sure. Mikael just knew it.

The duke arrived with his compatriots once more, and sat opposite Mikael. His personal guard looked slightly less on edge than they did the day before, but they surely hadn't forgotten what had happened.

"Good morning," Mikael started.

"Ah yes," the duke replied. "It seems that contrary to your earlier promise, the queen will once again abstain from joining us."

Mikael bowed. "A thousand apologies. The queen still fears for the safety of her family. The princess is currently under guard, and her majesty is working tirelessly to root out any potential threats. I cannot say any more than that." The lie was a bit better put together than the one from the previous day, though it was more a lie of omission than anything else. Wait, hadn't Queen Elsa already spoken with him?

"Yes, the queen already explained as much," Mikael felt his blood pressure drop back to normal. "However, that doesn't mean I have to like it. I did get her to guarantee that she would appear to finalise our arrangements. I suppose that will have to do for now."

The councilors of Arendelle arrived, allowing the negotiations to begin in earnest again. Or so they thought.

"Well, now that we're all here, let's not waste any time. I think now is a good a time as any to draw up new arrangements regarding livestock." Everlow took the top paper of the new pile.

Bertrom cleared his throat rather ostentatiously. "Actually, there were a number of laws and provisions that we failed to account for during yesterday's talks."

The duke locked eyes with him. "You're not seriously suggesting that we start the negotiations from scratch?"

"Well, while I would prefer that we do things the proper way, there is little point in retreading old ground. The laws cannot be applied retroactively to terms already agreed on." Two of men in the room let out a quiet sigh of relief. "However, in the coming days it is essential that we follow the letter of the law when creating these new terms. Wouldn't you agree?" With that, Bertrom snapped his fingers, and one of Arendelle's servants carried in a pile of documents that made the duke's look like the index for it.

Mikael glared at the viscount for as long as he count without getting noticed. Then he looked at Everlow. The man's expression didn't falter, surprisingly. They were already more or less on the same side, and they had both been patient up to this point. How long could Bertrom's stalling possibly hold out?

* * *

Elsa had everything in place. She had checked. And double-checked. And triple-checked. To the casual observer, it seemed a bit obsessive, even for her. For Elsa, there could be no margin for error. Not with what was at stake. Even now with all of her extensive measures in place, she was all too wary that the situation she was leaving in Arendelle was far from ideal.

She closed her eyes in reflection, as she headed towards the stables. If the events of last year proved nothing else, it was that life cared little for whether you were ready or not. Elsa was the only one who could save Anna from herself. Even if she didn't want that with all of her heart, that meant they she had the responsibility to see this through.

Her personal horse, a cream mare called Frost Fall had been standing by as she had been for the vast majority of Elsa's reign, and by extension her appointment as the queen's personal steed. The handlers and the stablemen had seen to it that the horse remained hearty and able to take off at a moment's notice. Finally, Elsa was ready to put it to good use.

The head manservant Kai was waiting for her, not seeming to mind the various kinds of filth that very surely getting on his clothing. "I have gathered all of the supplies as you instructed. You'll find most of the equipment you listed in the right saddle bag, and the provisions on the left."

"Thank you for getting it all together on such short notice. You're a lifesaver." Elsa quickly checked the bags in question. Everything seemed to be in order, down to the finest detail.

"I don't think I'll bother with asking whether or not you're absolutely sure about this," Kai remarked.

In truth, that question was sitting at the back of her mind. When she had asked Anna to remain in Elsa's chambers until she returned, the queen had to repeated assure her sister that she hadn't regressed and these measures were purely temporary. Even with the trust Anna still had in her, Elsa knew all too well it was only a matter of time before her sister went stir crazy. She had gotten used to the great outdoors now, and she wasn't going to give it up so easily. That was just something she would have to trust to Kristoff.

The matter of Arendelle's government was also a concern, albeit not on the same level. Most of the men responsible for Arendelle's daily affairs and more than enough years and less than ideal circumstances under their respective belts. But she was asking them to do more than simply hold the fort. Would Mikael still be able to finish the new trade agreement? While it was more or less the entire reason he was there, the concerns that the other councilors were trying to undermine him were not lost on the young queen, nor were the implications. She would have to have a serious word with all of them upon her return. And issue an apology to the duke if need be.

In the end, it took her a moment's hesitation, but she once again managed to reaffirm inside her own head that this really _was _for the best.

"Well, if you must travel without any protectors, I insist that you travel incognito as much as possible." Kai produced a simple blue tunic and a brown cloak. "I have made sure these are your size."

"Thank you so much. You really have thought of everything."

With a scant couple of hours until the sun dipped below the sea line, Elsa set off with all due haste. Frost Fall was extremely accommodating to her relative lack of experience riding a horse. Together, they cut through the main roads and the side streets whenever necessary, keeping a steady pace until they made it outside the city limits.

As they charged through the countryside and the mountains, Elsa felt a wave of nostalgia wash over her. There was exactly twice she had left her home like this before; her mind focused on the night that began what she had once believed to be a lifetime of solitude. That thought didn't scare her as much as she had feared. If anything, she was simply coming full circle.

She had kept the reins for almost the entire journey, only stopping a few times to consult the crudely drawn map that Kristoff had made for her. No doubt he could make something a little more worthy of royalty if he had more time, but this was perfectly serviceable, and for now that was enough. She had arrived a few minutes after sunset as she had calculated, which was fortunate as the clouds had gathered making travelling at night an impossibility.

As she made it to the stone clearing, she remember what Kristoff had told her. There was no need to announce her presence, as the trolls would have sensed someone passing their barrier without setting it off. Elsa had to steady her breathing. She had been here quite recently, but never alone. The silence was jarring. It didn't last long. After a minute or so, the familiar rumbling signalled the trolls waking up. They quickly converged to where Elsa stood and uncurled themselves.

"Your majesty," a few of them uttered. There was none of the mirth that she had remembered the last time she was here, but that was to be expected. Kristoff was family to them. In a way, so was Anna now. But Elsa was decidedly not. Even among the trolls, her title of Queen created a certain barrier between them.

Pabbie arrived a minute later. "Queen Elsa, it is a pleasure to see you again. My only regret is that it is not under better circumstances."

Elsa gave a curt nod. "Then you understand why I have come here. And that there is little time for pleasantries. I do not intend to leave this place until I am ready to help Anna."

"And what of your kingdom?" Pabbie asked. "I will share as much of my knowledge as it will take, but I do not wish for you to forsake your kingdom for this."

"I may be queen, but my kingdom is a great deal more than myself. My people are more than capable of managing in my absence." Elsa wondered to herself which of them she was telling that to. "I also have enough supplies to avoid imposing on any of you. So please, let us begin immediately."

"As you wish, your majesty." No more running. No more hiding. Elsa would learn how to perform surgery with her ice if that was what it took.


End file.
